Breaking news: full-moon lunar eclipse tonight, on the eve of the winter solstice! It's going to be visible from all of North America:
1:33 AM: Partial eclipse begins
2:41-3:53 AM: Total eclipse
Times are in EST.
http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2010/17dec_solsticeeclipse/ (http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2010/17dec_solsticeeclipse/)
QuoteThe luster will be a bit "off" on Dec. 21st, the first day of northern winter, when the full Moon passes almost dead-center through Earth's shadow. 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.
(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/ec/Geometry_of_a_Lunar_Eclipse.svg/280px-Geometry_of_a_Lunar_Eclipse.svg.png)
(http://science.nasa.gov/media/medialibrary/2010/12/17/visibilitymap_strip.gif/image_full)
(http://science.nasa.gov/media/medialibrary/2010/12/17/redmoon_med.jpg/image_mini)
To reiterate, this is awesome on three levels:
1. Total lunar eclipse
2. With a full moon
3. On the day of the Winter Solstice
I'll be in Florida for this tonight. No clouds!
This would explain why the cats have been acting more batty than usual.
Ugh...we have too many clouds for me to be able to see this--nonstop storms until Wednesday!
Personally I'm just not going to get my ass out of bed at 2 in the morning to watch the moon disappear. It's fucking cold outside. Not that this isn't very cool and all, but I doubt missing work for an eclipse would go over well :lulz:
It's cloudy as fuck here. :argh!:
It would of course happen the only time of the year that we have clouds where I live.
Clouded over here, with snow flurries predicted. :crankey:
Otherwise, having tomorrow off, work, I'd happily stay up late, call people over, drink, howl at the sky and make fire until the light comes back.
Quote from: Remington on December 20, 2010, 11:32:57 AM
To reiterate, this is awesome on three levels:
1. Total lunar eclipse
2. With a full moon
3. On the day of the Winter Solstice
Just want to point out that lunar eclipses are always during the full moon.
Overcast here, with snow expected 100%.
Quote from: Doktor Phox on December 20, 2010, 08:59:52 PM
It's cloudy as fuck here. :argh!:
Same here. :(
It's raining
It's pouring
The eclipse
is boring
No clouds. I've made an event out of this. I'll be sure to enjoy it enough for the rest of you kids that didn't make your proper weather god sacrifices.
I'm too old and tired to stay up. I imagine there will be youtube clips somewhere.
Quote from: Risus on December 21, 2010, 01:25:56 AM
No clouds. I've made an event out of this. I'll be sure to enjoy it enough for the rest of you kids that didn't make your proper weather god sacrifices.
I did, but to the rain gods for rain. :sad:
Quote from: Epi on December 21, 2010, 03:58:32 AM
Quote from: Risus on December 21, 2010, 01:25:56 AM
No clouds. I've made an event out of this. I'll be sure to enjoy it enough for the rest of you kids that didn't make your proper weather god sacrifices.
I did, but to the rain gods for rain. :sad:
If you had been making your sacrifices to the gods of the sun and moon for sunshine and moonshine, you would be able to see the eclipse tonight (if you could still see anything at all, that is).
Eclipse is go!
Still motherfucking cloudy. :crankey:
Clear skies here, but what's left of the moon is making a break for the horizon.
I got to see the moon lose the first chunk of its face before the loathsome skywaters converged to cover it.
If we are to believe the words of 14th century Buddhist monks, it is more moving to yearn for the moon through cloudy skies than to see it bright clear and shining. But what do they know?
Quote from: Nast on December 21, 2010, 07:36:45 AM
If we are to believe the words of 14th century Buddhist monks, it is more moving to yearn for the moon through cloudy skies than to see it bright clear and shining. But what do they know?
THOSE MOTHERFUCKERS DIDN'T WISH FOR CLOUDS DURING AN ECLIPSE! :crankey: :crankey: :crankey: :crankey: :crankey: :crankey:
:cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry:
Kinda off topic, but I once stared at a full moon through broken clouds until I could make it out as the head of a man in a burning cadillac. It gradually became so convincing that I could focus on all of the detail without it evaporating. No hallucinogens needed.
(http://imgur.com/TKyES.png)
Fucking clouds. I need a weather control system. Because fuck nature.
For those of you who are missing it.
Click it for HQ
(http://i.imgur.com/nnJR3l.jpg) (http://i.imgur.com/nnJR3.jpg)
Well I haven't seen a sky this clear in a long damn time.
For everyone who missed it I managed to get pics.
Photobucket wasn't working for me so I hope imgur doesn't let me down
But here:
(http://i.imgur.com/7hOSn.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/GF4yJ.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/E0lMB.jpg)
The light is on the top of yours. Did you turn your camera or is it eclipsing on a different side from.... wherever you are?
Click it for HQ
(http://i.imgur.com/ywqEol.jpg) (http://i.imgur.com/ywqEo.jpg)
Thanks guys!
Wow, I love how you can see the...dimensionality to it. Normally the moon looks flattish, this is visibly spherical.
Click it for HQ
(http://i.imgur.com/PssiXl.jpg) (http://i.imgur.com/PssiX.jpg)
Nnniiiice.
Click it for HQ
(http://i.imgur.com/84zhfl.jpg) (http://i.imgur.com/84zhf.jpg)
Note, I did not take these. I'm at work under snow and cloud filled skys using my googlefu.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/53571256@N04/sets/72157625518289155/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/zavoid/5279847384/
Quote from: Sigmatic on December 21, 2010, 08:30:08 AMWow, I love how you can see the...dimensionality to it. Normally the moon looks flattish, this is visibly spherical.
Me too.
I also think occultations are the tits for giving a glimpse of scale. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LYJsjAmzw2c (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LYJsjAmzw2c)
Too bad you probably can't just take good pictures of that without a telescope.