Well on down the slippery slope

Eclipse is underway (V = 3.23 on 9/25/09)and the debate over when First Contact really occurred has begun.  Initially, Jeff Hopkins figures it to be RJD 55072 (late Aug) while Richard Miles likes a date several days prior to that (mid-August).  Whether the final answer is JD 2,455,072 or a week earlier, in either event it appears to be at least one week after predicted start (55055, early August).  This arguably means further changes in eclipse shape and duration can be expected. 

As the rate of eclipse steepens this autumn toward totality at end of this year, we encourage everyone to collect and record observations in whatever unique way is available to you.  Chances are that you might have the only clear weather on Earth when something peculiar happens.  Only with coverage, can we put all these observations in context.