platypus: (visual spectrum of the sun)
el diablo robotico ([personal profile] platypus) wrote2012-05-22 03:00 pm

Eclipse!

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This is the sun, taken through an eclipse filter. I was testing out settings on my camera, in preparation for the annular eclipse.

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Ken rigged the binoculars to project the image, which was pretty cool. By the end, we could even see a sunspot. We'll probably use a setup like this for the transit of Venus in a couple of weeks.

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But I got the biggest kick out of being able to look directly at the eclipse through the filter.

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Projecting. We'll rig something to cast a better shadow next time.

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Going, going...

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I think this was about the maximum.

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Even though the sun was getting low, you could still see a significant difference in the quality of the light when it was mostly eclipsed. Everything was strangely murky and dim.

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We were with Ken's mom (we'd just had a belated Mother's Day dinner) and we set up in a parking lot just east of the coastal cloudy zone. While we were there, several people stopped by and had a look at our setup or tried out our viewing filters. It was pretty cool :).

[identity profile] dine.livejournal.com 2012-05-22 11:00 pm (UTC)(link)
way cool photos! too many clouds here to get a good look at it

[identity profile] mrv3000.livejournal.com 2012-05-23 01:12 am (UTC)(link)
Very cool!

[identity profile] purplesquirrel.livejournal.com 2012-05-23 03:34 pm (UTC)(link)
Awesome!

I couldn't see the eclipse where I was because the sun was behind a treeline.

[identity profile] dahliablue.livejournal.com 2012-05-23 06:45 pm (UTC)(link)
How cool! That filter is awesome. Great photos.

My mom, nephews, bro and I hung out in a parking lot with eclipse glasses that my dad gave us. We were able to see the beginning, but it was too low beyond the horizon to see the ring. My dad and his university crew were in New Mexico for the event. They got some amazing footage.

I think we'll be able to see the venus transit better here since it begins earlier. My dad and his crew are going to Alaska for that!