Jim Loudon Observatory
Lunar Eclipse Observations
2000
-01-21
Richard E. & Dolores H. Hill
JIM LOUDON OBSERVATORY
10130 E. King Manor
Tucson, AZ 85730
Longitude:110.77554 deg. W or 110 deg. 46' 31.9"
Latitude: 32.18006 deg. N or 32 deg. 10' 48.2"
Height above sealevel: 2875 ft.
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Lunar Eclipse Observations 1993-11-29
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Skies at our location (extreme East Tucson by the Rincon Mountains)
were photometric after a unpromising day of heavy cirrus. Temperatures
at the start were in the low 60's and ended in the low 40's, humidity
38%, with little or no wind. Observers present at the Jim Loudon
Observatory were: Dolores Hill, Paul Lorenz and myself. Occultation
timings are my own as observed through a 14-inch f/5 Newtonian at 70x.
Lorenz was using a C5 telescope at 50x.
UT NOTES
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04:04:30 First contact of umbra noted by Paul Lorenz. "Sharp edged
and well defined."
04:56 Umbra crossing Oceanus Procellarum is flat in it middle
creating the strong impression of extended "horns" or
cusps at the limb.
05:17 Sky getting noticably darker. Pleiades now easily visible.
05:25 Moon getting quite red on umbral or NE side. Three stars
approaching occultation.
05:27 Begin occultation watch.
05:28:14.7 Occultation of ZC 642. - disappearance.
05:50:35.5 Occultation of Q 00853 - disappearance.
05:52:48.7 Occultation Q 00838 - disappearance.
05:56:26.9 Occultation Q 00853 - disappearance.
05:59:13.0 Occultation ZC 646 - disappearance - This star was binary
and a clear unambiguous step disappearance event. Primary
star was distinctly orange (K or M spect.). But when the
first step of the occultation occurred the drop in light was
accompanied by a sudden dramatic change in color in the
14" telescope as the star turned blue (A or B spect.).
The step length was 3.6sec with the second event occurring
at 05:59:16.6 UT.
06:01 Totality seen to begin. Q 00716 misses N limb.
06:08:00.9 Occultation of XZ 5624 - disappearance.
06:24:33.9 Occultation of XZ 5624 - reappearance.
06:26 Mid-totality.
06:35:35.9 Occultation XZ 5655 - disappearance.
06:42:11.6 Occultation Q 00994 error +/- 1 sec. since averted vision
was used.
06:45:41.7 Occultation ZC 0651 - disappearance.
06:46:44.8 Occultation XZ 5669 - disappearance.
06:47 S. limb quite bright. Not a lot of color; slightly "coppery"
to N. Totality ending.
06:48 Limb near Tycho very rough.
06:50 Totality over.
06:50:30 Edge of umbra clearly seen on moon.
06:57:46.7 Occultation of XZ 5658 - disappearance.
06:58:14.0 Occultation of XZ 5661 - disappearance.
07:00 Red color in umbra more intense now. The same was true
just before totality. Color was less intense during
totality.
07:05 To the naked eye the moon looks like a "smile" sitting
between Pleiades and Hyades!
07:06 Mare Humorum and Tycho just coming out of umbra.
07:11 Sky now noticably brighter.
07:12 M. Humorum now in full light. Tycho just left umbra.
07:27 Moon to bright for upcoming occultations.
07:33 Copernicus just left shadow. Clouds to far S and W.
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