Posted on 11/26/2021 2:21:03 PM PST by MtnClimber
Explanation: Rain clouds passed and the dome of the Lick Observatory's 36 inch Great Refractor opened on November 19. The historic telescope was pointed toward a partially eclipsed Moon. Illuminated by dim red lighting to preserve an astronomer's night vision, telescope controls, coordinate dials, and the refractor's 57 foot long barrel were captured in this high dynamic range image. Visible beyond the foreshortened barrel and dome slit, growing brighter after its almost total eclipse phase, the lunar disk created a colorful corona through lingering clouds. From the open dome, the view of the clearing sky above includes the Pleiades star cluster about 5 degrees from Moon and Earth's shadow.
For more detail go to the link and click on the image for a high definition image. You can then move the magnifying glass cursor then click to zoom in and click again to zoom out. When zoomed in you can scan by moving the side bars on the bottom and right side of the image.
Nice! Back in the 1980’s, I don’t remember the exact year, our astronomy club took a trip to Yerkes observatory, one of the resident astronomers gave us a nighttime tour. We were privileged to see the 40” refractor, what a wonderful site it was! Couldn’t look through it, it was set up for a research project, I believe. He took us to places they wouldn’t take just anyone on a public tour, such as their library, we looked at original photographic plates and walked across the roof between the telescope domes. We tried looking at the Moon through a smaller scope, but the seeing was awful. It was cold, damp, and breezy. Not a good night for astronomy.
But a great one for memories!
bttt
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