Total Lunar Eclipse -21st December 2010

Good day to you all, amateur astronomers. I have decided to observe this Christmas' Total Lunar Eclipse on the West pier of Howth Harbour. All vehicles can drive down to the end of the pier, so I shall be driving the car to the site. My wife Valerie will accompany me and I shall be bringing my 6.2" apochromatic refractor and my 9X63 binoculars. I hope to use my new Pentax 10mm eyepiece which gives me 112X and 37 minutes field of view, suitable for fitting in the Full Moon. We shall be up at 4am and should arrive before 5.30am to set everything up. Just in case anyone is wondering where the west pier is: it is the first pier you come to after the Dart station beside all the boats. Do bring some breakfast for yourselves. Everyone is welcome to join me for my 11th Total Lunar Eclipse. We will only go home after 8.30am. Please feel free to replay to this blog. My phone no. is 086-2922101.
The reason I am observing this eclipse from Howth is because I was kindly advised by Michael O'Connell -the fine amateur astronomer from Kildare, and it is a good choice -thanks Michael. The West Pier at Howth harbour has a low NW horizon where the Moon will be setting at 8.30am. All we need is clear skies.

Yours most sincerely, Aubrey.

Best of Luck with it Aubery, remember to wrap up very well, it's going to be very cold. I plan on doing some photography, so hopefully it will be clear

Keith..

Thank you, Keith, for your kind thoughts. I shall be wearing 5 layers above the waist, and 2 layers below and the great woolly hat on top. My wife I will probably won't recognize her. (Joke!).
May I ask, Keith, might you be considering joining us? If you can cope with some light pollution?

Yours, Aubrey.

Thanks for the invite Aubery, but I am probably too far away here in Cavan, and the roads are very poor with snow and ice. Time for the wooly hat.....

Keith..

Really useful site re Total Lunar Eclipse

www.shadowandsubstance.com/

Deirdre Kelleghan
Vice Chair IFAS

That's an interesting website Dee.
Thanks for sharing.
Michael.