January 20, 2019 Total Lunar Eclipse

Sometimes it is just good to prepare for a celestial event even when the weather report and satellite images are discouraging. Such was the case last night.
Despite poor weather conditions, here are my captures of the total lunar eclipse last night (Jan.20, 2019) taken with the CATE Project telescope (80mm f/5.6) and my Canon T3i.  I had cloud cover that started to break up just before totality and then filled back in at totality. Enjoy! I didn't think I was going to get anything, so I am happy with this!

At first it was difficult to get focus because the cloud cover was so thick...

I started taking images because it was obvious that the eclipse had begun (darkening was apparent on the lower right hand side of the Moon)

Then as the shadow of the Earth was darkening nearly half the Moon I took this shot because it looked like the Moon was caught in the center of a nebula!  Yes, totally clear skies are great for detail but even partly cloudy skies create beautiful effects...

Well, it became mostly clear just a few minutes later...

I increased the exposure time to reveal the dark orange color of what would be totality. The color is caused by the light of the Sun passing through Earth's atmosphere, like a thousand sunsets bending their light upon the Moon.

Then totality came, well at least as much as I was going to see...

This was the last image I was able to take before thick clouds came in and my imaging session came to an end.

Here's what it looked like in my obs "warm room"... happy, happy, happy!