May 21, 2012 ALP Luneta
Partial Solar Eclipse Report
by Gary
Andreassen
Images by Jan Karlo Hernandez , Andrew Ian Chan, Bernice
Viola Chan, Gary & Steinar Andreassen
To document the 2012 Partial Annular Solar Eclipse,
ALPers
 Andrew Ian Chan, Berenice Viola Chan , Jan Karlo
Hernandez and dad Junn; and Gary and Steinar
Andreassen all met up at the Manila Planetarium with
Curator Bel Pabunan (and staff) at 5:00am on May
21, 2012 (Monday). Loading up their astro equipment,
they then headed for and setup their gear at the back of
the Jose Rizal Monument at the Rizal Park (Luneta).
Solar filters attached
and DSLRs mounted, when the sun rose at 5:27am, ALPers
were ready and clicking away at their shutters. Sadly,
the eastern horizon was blocked with a 10 degree
obstruction so ALPers couldn’t take a crescent sun
rising shot. There was also bit of a haze and cloud
cover. None of these however hindered ALPers from
documenting the event. If anything, the clouds actually
allowed the taking of shots without solar
filters and made for some spectacular shots. Also, the
obstruction made for grand perspective shots.
“All in all, it was
good day for astrophotography enthusiasts,” says ALPer
Andrew Ian Chan with his SkyWatcher 80ED Refractor on a
Vixen GP mount.
Associated Press Video Journalist Joeal “Bogie”
Calupitan was there to cover the event and interview
ALPers. ALP got local (in print) and international
coverage (on video) the following day as Bogie quoted
ALPer Gary Andreassen as saying: “It’s amazing! We do
this for the awe and it (the annular eclipse) has not
disappointed. I am awed, literally floored.” The video
interview can be viewed at this link
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/science/space/story/2012-05-20/solar-eclipse/55099766/1.
After some final shots
documenting sunspots AR 1482 and AR 1484, the Luneta
Team dispersed at around 8am.
Sunrise Partial Solar Eclipse |
Maximum Partial Solar Eclipse
via Solar Projection |
Minutes past Maximum Partial
Phase |
Partial Solar Eclipse near 4th
Contact |
ALP / Planetarium Luneta Partial
Solar Eclipse Team
Success !!!
|
