Eclipse: Tired, dirty, and happy

The Sun at Maximum Eclipse - 2:32 PM EDT - Note Sunspot at Lower Left

Yesterday (August 21) millions gathered along a thin path crossing the continental United States to watch a total eclipse of the Sun. Those with favorable viewing conditions along the path of totality enjoyed an amazing sight and experience. Totality fell close enough to a west-to-east center line across the continent that at least a partial eclipse was visible to anyone with access to clear sky.

Since, with some self-doubt, I had decided not to travel to the path of totality, I organized the Hiram Eclipse Watch event. With the support of the Hiram College Physics Department, it took place on the campus of the college.

I set up two telescopes: a six-inch Meade refractor with a Baader Planetarium Safety Herschel Wedge, and a 90mm Meade refractor with a Thousand Oaks glass/metal filter. I also went equipped with my Canon EOS 50D camera, 400mm telephoto, and 2X teleconverter (>1,200mm focal length equivalent), and white light film filter. Physics staff ran a Lunt Ha scope and an experiment recording temperature and solar energy changes during the eclipse.

Progressing Toward Maximum - Silhouette of the Moon Moves Across the Solar Disk

Summarizing, despite last-minute worries over cloud cover, we had clear to partly-cloudy skies for the duration of our 80-percent partial eclipse. An estimated 375 visitors came out to share the experience, and by all reports had an excellent time. Some families even brought blankets and enjoyed a picnic on the lawn in the shade of old trees!

Detail from Above - Look Along Moon's Edge and Notice Bumps: Lunar Mountains and Ridges in Silhouette

It was very hot and fairly humid and I labored in the sunshine erecting and operating the telescopes, rationing out eclipse viewing glasses, explaining the eclipse event and solar features, and making a few photographs of my own. By the end I was dripping with sweat and very tired but had to rush home to process and upload a photograph of maximum eclipse to a newspaper.

By the end of day, I was was tired, dirty, and happy.

The (Ravenna) Record-Courier - August 22, 2017 - Page 1

Partial Solar Eclipse - October 23, 2014

Pre-Eclipse Test Image showing Huge Sunspot Group

Partial Solar Eclipse of October 23, 2014. After days of analysis and agonizing over whether to stage a public event or go out on my own, I decided to be a spectator myself and try and get some good images. From where? I decided to use fishing pier located in Avon Lake, Ohio to observe the sunset partial solar eclipse. I was hoping to get images of the eclipsing sun sinking colorfully on the western horizon, reflecting dreamily in Lake Erie waters. When I arrived there were few people around but I saw a line of cars arriving at the parking lot. I hustled my equipment down to the pier and staked out a corner so as to be out of the way.

A Portion of the Fishing Pier Crowd Watching the Eclipse

Soon the pier was packed and, at the expected time, I spotted the dark edge of the Moon encroaching upon the Sun's bright disk. I shouted to the crowd, "It has started!" Folks quickly faced sunward and, holding their sun-safe viewers, looked and agreed... "Look! I can see it!" I was shooting with a 400mm telephoto lens mounted to a 2X lens extender on a cropped-sensor camera giving me about 1000mm of telescopic goodness. I'd tried the combo out earlier in the day and got very good results.

Dark Disk of Moon Encroaching Upon Cloud-Streaked Sun

The evening's seeing, however, wasn't as good as that of midday; the Sun was low in the sky (more atmosphere), there was a fairly stiff breeze (vibration and atmospheric turbulence), and there were thin clouds. Still, while not as sharp as I'd have liked, the presence of a huge sunspot group and some cloud effects along with the eclipse made for dramatic images.

Eclipsing Sun Sinks into Lake Clouds Ending our Day

The eclipsing Sun sank into lake clouds before giving us sunset colors but I didn't regret staying til the (cold) end. As eclipse watchers started heading home, someone asked if they could see my images, review them in the camera's tiny LCD panel. I obliged and soon collected a little crowd. Some had arrived late and hadn't seen any of the event. It was heartening to have seen the excitement of fellow viewers and to have shared the wonder of this partial solar eclipse with them.