Astronomy Observing Reports: LUNAR ECLIPSE 2015

Location: Irving Nature Park, Saint John, NB, Canada

Date Time: September 27, 2015 1915-0130hrs Setup at the park was from 2115-0030hrs. Left park at 0045hrs.

Weather: Very windy, strong gusts reportedly 30km/hr all night, 12C all evening, very cool, some clouds, hazy, lots of dew, no bugs.

Attendance: Mike P, Ed O, Steven T, Adrian B, Curt N, June M, Matthew W, Allan H, David M and approximately 225 from the general public for a talk put on by Curt and observing with at least a dozen telescopes set up in the upper parking lot.

Equipment: Canadian Telescopes 80 ED/APO on a Vixen Alt Az Mount, 12mm eyepiece, Rigel Red circle finder. 8" Meade LX 200, 32mm eyepiece, Telerad and piggy back attachment for telescope. Canon Rebel Xsi with 18-55mm and 75-300mm lenses, tripod and an attachment to connect to both telescopes.

Objective: To view and image my first known Lunar Eclipse and to share my astronomy knowledge and telescopes with the general public.

Highlights:

Aligned big scope on Polaris.
Viewed Saturn myself. Was really low on the horizon around 2130hrs, didn't show up well. None of its moons were visible. Reddish, hazy and warbled around in eyepiece, but rings were visible. Public were attending Curts talk at this time.
Set big scope on Polaris to show public that this is a double star in a backyard telescope. Pointed out to the approx. ten people who viewed it that Hubble has found a third star in this system.
Kept small scope on the Moon all night, available to the public. At least 30 people viewed different phases of the eclipse through my scope.
By 2315hrs many stars began to pop out as the sky darkened, due to the eclipse. M31 was visible with averted vision and at least once with direct sight. Milky Way was not visible before the eclipse, appeared during the eclipse.
Through the eyepiece of small scope and in a few images, during darkest period of eclipse, stars were visible next to the Full Eclipsed Moon.
Through small scope during total eclipse phase, Moon appeared grayish.
During total eclipse, Moon had a red 'tinge' to it when viewed naked eye.
Eclipse started on left side of Moon and finished on Right. Eclipse stared at approx 2200hrs and lasted till 0130hrs.
0545 hrs wake up to fog!
No shooting stars or satelites seen. Many airplanes.