Christmas Eclipse
If you missed the Christmas Eclipse and you don't think you will be around in the year 2307 to see the next Christmas Eclipse, enjoy the images that I captured with my digital camera and telescope. I also made a 20 minute video. If you would like to share it with your Randolph students, e-mail me and I'll get send it over. e-mail Mr. Lopatka by clicking here. greg@lopatka.net Links
|
 After
helping students and teachers get ready for the Christmas eclipse, I set
up my telescope and cameras on Christmas morning and waited for the cosmic
show to begin. |
| Chicago Students learned all about the Christmas Solar Eclipse, thanks to the Sun-Times, they got Eclipse viewing glasses. For more information go to: http://sunearth.gsfc.nasa.gov/eclipse/ | I took this picture just before sun rise on 12/22/00. The crescent moon is racing at 2000 miles per hour toward the point in space where it will cast a shadow on the earth Christmas morning at 9:45 AM. |
| These are the same christmas trees that were pictured above with the crescent moon, now they are lit up by the Christmas sun. It is 9:40 AM. | The Eclipse started right on schedule at 9:44 AM. I took the above picture at 9:55. Notice the sun spots. The sun has been very active. |
| For more information on the active sun, visit http://www.spaceweather.com
I took the above picture at 10:43 in Bolingbrook, IL. |
I took my telescope on the road, so that my grandchildren could enjoy the eclipse show. Mike takes off the eclipse glasses to look at the telescope projection. |
| I warmed my feet with the fire from my son, Ken's fireplace, while Amanda and Jeff open their presents. | The Eclipse reached the maximum at 11:17. I took the above picture at 11:01 and then headed for Romeoville to show my daughter Debbie and her Husband Dan. |
| I headed over to show my grandson Mike, granddaughter Michelle and son-in-law Mike the celestial wonder. | I ended up back home as the eclipse event was winding down. I took the above picture at 12:31. |