BEVS

Is anyone going to be watching that here in NZ ?

There is a total eclipse of the moon tonight. We will start to see the total shadow of the earth covering the moon around 9pm and continuing for a couple of hours.

We have a clear night here , so it should be good.

lardyl

Yep, if the clouds blow away - its a wild wet night in Rodney!
Good luck to all amateur astronomers!

TeamEmbo

Its been unusually cloudy here today and kids were disappointed they may not get to see it, but just been and looked out of the kitchen window and the moon is so bright - cloud all around but not covering it, and a huge red and yellow halo (due to the cloud?), so it looks like it might be a good show after all. daughter's even dragged herself off her sick bed for it!

brussels_sprout

The moon is sooooo bright Lardyl, yes, sky is clear, but at 20:30 nothing different, but keep popping out every 15 mins, how about you ?

lardyl

its persisting it down (on and off), but I'm still hopeful.....
how's youse sprouty?

BEVS

The moon is bright and clear in a cloudless sky here in Nelson. Nothing yet. I think maybe around 9.15pm we may see something start.

UKNZAUS

it's chucking it down here too! Just been out though and theres a break in the clouds where its becoming a clear sky ... just need it to stay like that for a bit longer now

BEVS

Bugger ! Absolutely bugger for you guys with any rain and cloud

The first shadow has started. It's creeping up from the bottom left /centre. The main shadow should start in about half an hour.

Of course, all this is a bit tough to watch from our deck

I'll give that to NZ absolutely and willingly with much . Not too much sodium glare yet to douse the glorious night sky .

UKNZAUS

I was just coming on to say we have a perfectly clear sky now and that I've noticed the start of it

I'm taking pics but don't know how well they'll come out

lardyl

its here with fast moving clouds - add to the atmosphere......waits for the hound of the Baskervilles to put in an appearance.






BTW - photo tip for the moon - underexpose using the digital camera on the manual settings!!

BEVS

erm OK

Which button is that exactly?

lardyl

damn - pouring down again, just as I went off to the motor to get the longer lens........soaked and had to get over the lawn in bare feet - yuk.
good luck everyone else

lardyl

do you have a tripod? it would be useful tonight! if you do use the cameras self-timer...
set camera to "M" or manual and wind up the aperture (f stop) nice and high then brace yourself against a wall/door frame and shoot at 1/125 sec (shutter) or so then look at the results - if its grey you should take the f stop down one or two but if everything is too white then go the other way (or shoot at 1/60sec) Of course it all depends upon camera and ASA (ISO) settings.....
oh yeah turn off the flash too.....
if no manual settings then you might get a result on landscape - the "mountain" setting! or night shot (hehe if you have it).

Wiz'n'Ton

Gah! Clear night till now, and the blimmin' cloud has rolled in! Arses! :curse:

sammymac

Photo taken with Kmart telescope and old digital camera.