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By David Muir
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Altitude: 50 Meters (more or less)		   Updated April 17, 2003
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Astrophotography by David Muir

Images: Lunar Eclipse '96 Apr   Lunar Eclipse '96 Sep   Lunar Eclipse '00 Jan   Hale-Bopp
COPYRIGHT NOTICE

Pictures are copyright © by the author. However, these pictures may be reproduced for non-commercial usage providing credit is given to the author of each picture.

Lunar Eclipse — April 1996

The Total Lunar Eclipse of 1996 April 3, as expected, was both brighter and more colorful than the previous two total lunar eclipses. For the eastern seaboard, the Moon rose totally eclipsed. Due to cloud cover on the eastern horizon, the lunar spectacle in Gainesville was first visible in early post-umbral phase.

Lunar Eclipse Eclipse Composite (63K gif) — Image is a composite of six frames. (Click on image to view a larger picture)

Technical Information

  1. Location: Gainesville, Florida USA
  2. Telescope/Camera: 8" Equatorial Reflector, Clock Driven, positive projection, f/8 at 1650mm; Camera Pentax P2
  3. Film: Kodak ProGold 100
  4. Exposures: From 2 seconds (Frame #1 ) to 1/250 (Frame #6)
  5. Filters: None


Lunar Eclipse — September 1996

The Total Lunar Eclipse of 1996 September 26, the second of the year, was visible on the eastern coast in its entirety. Under clear skies, the eclipse started at 8:12 p.m. EDT, entered mid-totality at 10:54 p.m., and ended at 1:37 a.m.

The Moon's eccentric passage through Earth's umbral shadow was evident during totality as an intensity gradient of brilliant copper-red tones shifted from east to west across the northern lunar pole.

Lunar Eclipse Eclipse Composite (155K gif) — Image is a composite of twenty-four frames. (Click on image to view a larger picture)

Technical Information

  1. Location: Gainesville, Florida USA
  2. Telescope/Camera: 8" Equatorial Reflector, Clock Driven, positive projection, f/8 at 1650mm; Camera Nikon F2
  3. Film: Kodak ProGold 100 (pre- and post-umbral); Kodak PPF 400 (umbral)
  4. Exposures: 1/250 to 1/30 (penumbral); 5 seconds (umbral)
  5. Filters: None


Lunar Eclipse Eclipse Composite (47K gif) — Image is a composite of three frames. (Click on image to view a larger picture.)
This photographic series depicts the three phases of full moon which appeared on September 26. Earth's shadow has two distinct regions, the umbra and the penumbra. The umbra casts the darkest shadow and represents the region in which all direct sunlight is obscured. The Moon enters total eclipse when passing through this region. Illumination of the lunar surface during totality is the result of sunlight refracted by Earth's atmospheric which casts a ruddy-copper glow. The penumbra represents the outermost region of Earth's shadow in which only a portion of sunlight is blocked by the Earth. However, refracted light still contributes a violet hue to the lunar spectrum.


Lunar Eclipse — January 20/21, 2000

The Total Lunar Eclipse of 2000 January 20/21, first eclipse of the year 2000, was visible throughout the continental USA. Under mostly clear skies, the eclipse started at 9:03 p.m. EST when the Moon first entered the Earth's penumbral shadow. The Moon entered the umbra at 10:02 p.m. and was fully within the Earth's umbral shadow at 11:05 p.m. Maximum eclipse occurred at 11:44 p.m., the Moon began to leave the umbra at 12:22 a.m., was fully out of the umbra at 1:26 a.m., and the eclipse ended at 2:24 a.m when the Moon left the penumbra.

(For more about this eclipse night, see The First Full Moon of the Year 2000)

During this eclipse the north limb (edge) of the Moon was near the center of the Earth's shadow while the south limb was fairly close to the edge of the Earth's shadow causinga a strong gradation of light (and color) across the face of the Moon. (Most observers in Gainesville agreed that this was a relatively bright eclipse with the Moon distincly visible throughout the eclipse.)

Lunar Eclipse of 2000 Jan. 20/21 Eclipse Composite (20K jpg) — Image is a composite of three frames. (Click on image to view a larger picture)

Technical Information

  1. Location: Northwest Gainesville, Florida USA
  2. Time: 11:20 p.m. – 12:30 a.m. EST
  3. Telescope: 8 in. Meade Starfinder reflector
  4. Specs: Positive projection, f/8 at 1650 mm
  5. Camera: 35 mm Nikon F2
  6. Film: Kodak PPF 400
  7. Exposures: 4, 8, and 4 seconds (respectively)
  8. Filters: None
  9. Sky: Clearing haze


Comet Hale-Bopp, April 2, 1997

Tails and Trails

Click on each image to view a larger picture.

Hale-Bopp With JetComet Hale-Bopp with Trail of Airplane Jet's Light (72K gif)

105mm lens, 5 minute exposure at f/2.5


Comet Hale-Bopp, 10 minComet Hale-Bopp (88K gif)

200mm lens, 10 minute exposure at f/4.0


Comet Hale-Bopp, 14 minComet Hale-Bopp (113K gif)

200mm lens, 14 minute exposure at f/4.0


Technical Information

  1. Date: April 2, 1997, 8-9:00 p.m. EST
  2. Location: 5 miles NW of Gainesville, Florida USA
  3. Camera: Nikon F2, piggy-back on 8" Meade Starfinder/Magellan II
  4. Film: Fuji SuperG 800, standard processing
  5. Exposure: As indicated
  6. Filters: None

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