Rare Solstice Lunar Eclipse Takes Place Tonight
Tonight is the winter solstice, and for lucky sky viewers in North America, the chance for an amazing view of a lunar eclipse.
NASA:
For 72 minutes of eerie totality, an amber light will play across the snows of North America, throwing landscapes into an unusual state of ruddy shadow.
The eclipse begins on Tuesday morning, Dec. 21st, at 1:33 am EST (Monday, Dec. 20th, at 10:33 pm PST). At that time, Earth's shadow will appear as a dark-red bite at the edge of the lunar disk. It takes about an hour for the "bite" to expand and swallow the entire Moon. Totality commences at 02:41 am EST (11:41 pm PST) and lasts for 72 minutes.
If you're planning to dash out for only one quick look - it is December, after all - choose this moment: 03:17 am EST (17 minutes past midnight PST). That's when the Moon will be in deepest shadow, displaying the most fantastic shades of coppery red.
The reason the moon is red is that it's reflecting the light of every 'sunrise' and 'sunset' around the Earth's circumference as the sun is directly behind it.
A demonstration of what you'll see, AFTER THE JUMP...
The House Of The Devil! http://youtu.be/NHvSkTDWFfk
Posted by: TANK | Dec 20, 2010 9:45:26 AM
Scende la notte, tranquilità
Piano il buio respira
Solo la luna veglierà
Con argento ci coprirà
Dal grande cielo splenderà
Solo la luna veglierà
Scene la notte e lai è la
Su tutto'l cielo lei regna
Con gentilezza lel guarderà
Illuminando la sera
La luna della notte
Dolcemente ci protteggerà
Luna non veglierà
Fuggirà
Luna scomprarirà
Dvorak / Ferrau
Posted by: Matt26 | Dec 20, 2010 10:33:52 AM
That last sentence was a bit unclear. In case anyone's confused, the sun will be behind *the earth* from the moon's perspective, not vice-versa. In other words: the earth will be between the sun and the moon.
Posted by: le_sacre | Dec 20, 2010 3:59:58 PM