Observation by Alan B Thomas: Lunar Partial Eclipse March 24 1959

Uploaded by

Alan Thomas

Observer

Alan B Thomas

Observed

1959 Mar 24 - 00:00

Uploaded

2020 Mar 26 - 12:46

Objects

Eclipse

Equipment

37mm Refractor

Location

Ruislip, Middlesex

Target name

Lunar Partial Eclipse

Title

Lunar Partial Eclipse March 24 1959

About this image

This is my first recorded observation, March 24 1959 (no time noted). The 'instrument' consisted of a small lens at the end of a cardboard tube with a plastic binocular objective mounted in a toilet roll centre as an eyepiece! There was no mount; I stuck it through a convenient hedge by the path from our front door in suburban London. Wow! I was a real astronomer now.

At the time I thought the magnification was about x10: now I'm not convinced it was much above zero. But as a 10-year old, it felt as if I was I was looking through the Yerkes 40".

I noted that this was "Quite a memorable drawing as the next eclipse visible from England is not until August 1961" !!

It was enthralling to see an eclipse, not just a picture but the real thing. That sense of wonder, awe even, has never seemed quite so sharp as it was then - but it's still there. In fact it's why I still get a buzz out of looking into an eyepiece.

Files associated with this observation

First ever observation_0.jpg (431.1 kB)

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Andy Wilson, David Basey, Jeremy Shears, Mr Michael Alan Frost, Peter Mulligan, Andrew Dumbleton

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