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Alex Gaina

22 Feb 2008 21:05


THE ECLIPSE IN CHISINAU (Replays in Romanian)

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I have observed the eclipse together wiith Valerian Ciobanu a writer and tourist amateur. 
We discussed two days before concerning eclipse and measured the temparature and the speed of clouds and wind. I was optimistic , when I seen a Cirus  on 20 february. But  the first partial phase was a cloudy one, i.e. the image of the moon was permanently interrupted by clouds. I observed from the ground with a monocular.  The speed of the clouds  (N-W to S-E) was about 9 degrees /min in the morning. 

I observed initially the Sunset, which allows me to estimate the heigt of the trees on the Hill of the nearest village (Durlesti).  The height of the trees is 21'= 0.35Deg. Since the distance till that hill should be about 2 km, the height of the trees is about 6 m. 
We observed the Moonrise at A=-20Deg-90 Deg = -110 Deg and H= ~ 4 Deg. the Moon was like a Mamaliga (Mais) in color. 

At UT 16:45 t=6C.

At UT23:45, t=+4C.

I made 13 pictures of the partial phases, but it was impossible to upload  the first.  The moments of the images are as follows:
UT1:55
UT1:58
UT1:58
UT2:00
UT2:03
 I took few photo with my simplest aparatus from 2:05 till 2:06
UT2:07
UT 2:11
UT2:18
UT2:32
UT2:37
UT2:49
UT2:55
 The last was like an easy inclined horizontal plate.
An interesting moment was a star at UT 2:07 left and up (6 cm when hold out, or 7,5 Degrees from the Moon).

During the totality phase I seen nothing.

The second part was absolutely wonderful. I observed since UT3:40 till UT 3:50 on the roof of a 9 floors building. This phase could be filmed. But I have few pictures at:
UT3:40
UT 3:50
Cloud at UT 4:00 (see below)
UT 4:30
UT 4:40
UT 4:45
UT 4:47 (the last)

A little strange moment happened at the roof, when I observed that the lightened part of the Moon moved from right bottom to left side of the Moon (aroundUT 3:40- 3:50). The second part recolletced me the pictures by Kuindzhi (Kuinji, or Cuingi (in Romanian)) . The Moon was at H~10 Degrees or less above the Horizon, which was by 1 Degrees below the roofs of the Houses , few of which were higher than the roof of observation.

The Moon was colored in very tender orange, I observed few times the blood on the surface, while once the effect was very pronounced. The shadow on the Moon deepened in time. An image like an yolk of an egg  persisted tens of minits.  Another very interesting moment was a cloud which eaten the Moon. It was like a crocodile with an open mouth.  I observed  a halo around the Moon with an diameter a little bit less than 2 Degrees. 
I observed the Venus at UT 4:32. At UT 4:30 the Moon was 2.5 Deg above the roofs and 3.5 Deg above the Horizon. Twilights at UT 4:30.  I registered the last contact of the Moon with the roof at UT 4:47. This moment the Moon dissapeared. The Eastern Horizon was covered by clouds of height 4 to 5 Degrees. I can not observe the Sunrise. t= +2C. No wind. At UT 10:00 t= +10C. Sunny.
The second partial phase was VERY, VERY Nice. 

EAAS member, Alex