Lunar Eclipse Dec 20-21

[Tom]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/December_2010_lunar_eclipse

The first total lunar eclipse to take place in the Northern Hemisphere winter solstice since 1638.  How about that?

[Jeff]

I was hoping to get a look. Looks like this will be for the other side of the world from us.

[Jasperfield]

The best view would be from the moon, looking back toward the eclipsed sun.

[SwampDonkey]

It's going to be storming here, rain probably. 

[LeeB]

Guess I'll get to see it then. I'm on the other side of the world and working nights..

[Cedarman]

I watched one in 75 or 76 while working on an offshore platform off the coast of Trinidad.
I had a perfect view.
Hope you have a good view Lee.

[LeeB]

So much for seeing the eclipse. Got a PM from Furby with a link about it and apparently I won't be able to see it at all from here. 

[Dan_Shade]

i think all of North America will be able to see it based upon the wikipedia offer

problem is we'll have to stay up all night to watch it!

[metalspinner]

Thanks for the reminder, Tom!

I read about it in last months issue of Sky and Telescope.  We'll set the alarm to get the boys up for a quick look-see if the forcast calls for clear skies.

[Bill]

My aunt - good older soul that she is - has a different perspective.

I told her that I was thinking about setting the alarm to get up at 3:30 ish to see when the moon disappeared completely in the earth's shadow .

 She asked " So will you be getting up to see nothing ? "  .   


For the record I have it on good authority ( the neighbor next door  ?  ) that you'll see a brownish disk from other light that strikes the  moon.

[metalspinner]

From what I understand, Earth's halo created by the sunrise on one side of the planet and sunset on the other will affect the color of the moon tonight. Atmospheric conditions also plays a large part of the luner eclipse's color.

I'm debating with myself on whether or not to just role out of bed for a quick look or stay up for a longer show.

[Ianab]

She asked " So will you be getting up to see nothing ? "  .    

For the record I have it on good authority ( the neighbor next door  ?  ) that you'll see a brownish disk from other light that strikes the  moon.

Yep, you can see the moon clearly during a full eclipse, and it's coloured a dull orange like a sunset as it's only lit by a little light that sneaks through the earth's atmosphere like a sunset /sunrise.

We are still under a heavy rain warning here, so no view for us.  

This is one of my pics from the last total eclipse (August 07)



Ian

[fuzzybear]

I was hoping to get a look. Looks like this will be for the other side of the world from us.

  That's what I like about living up here, The other side of the world is just over my shoulder. This time of year the moon never sets. with the sun so low on the horizon the moon is always up.  Did have a slight preview last night. The moon is slowly turning red between 12am and 3am.  even better is that the northern lights are running like crazy during this time.
   I have never been able to get good pictures of the northern lights with my digital camera, but I will try my hardest to get pictures of the eclipse and post them for everybody.
FB

[SwampDonkey]

We had an eclipse here at the same time in '07. It was just on the horizon before moon set and before the sun was in view in the east rising.



This was just before the door was shut. Here, because of the sun was near the horizon, the sky was too bright to see the eclipsed moon, it blended into the sky.

Ian and I were both taking photos on opposite sides of the globe.   We are further east here than you fella's to the south.   We had a partial in Feb 08 as well.

[Ianab]

I have never been able to get good pictures of the northern lights with my digital camera, but I will try my hardest to get pictures of the eclipse and post them for everybody.

From memory that one of mine was taken on a tripod with full manual settings and about a 2-3sec exposure. Automatic just doesn't cut it as the sky (most of the frame) is so dark. So I set the camera to manual shutter speed at try some different setting to see what works best.

Yup, just looked at the data in the original, F 4.6m Exp 2sec, ISO 400

Ian

[wesdor]

Guy at work told me that since this is the first eclipse and solstice it means we will have three months of winter in the northern hemisphere ( smile)

[Tom]

You should have flipped him a dime, Wesdor.  That's some pretty good information. 

[fuzzybear]

Guy at work told me that since this is the first eclipse and solstice it means we will have three months of winter in the northern hemisphere ( smile)

   I ould be happy with only 3 more months

[pigman]

Guy at work told me that since this is the first eclipse and solstice it means we will have three months of winter in the northern hemisphere

I thought every winter every where was about three months long.   It's just some areas have different lengths of winter weather.

[clif]

Totally clear skies, a balmy -4 F  and the full moon rising and several hours away from its height.  Eclipse to start at 9: 30 pm Alaska time   

[Warbird]

It's looking pretty good from here in Fairbanks.  You guys have a good view of it there, clif?

[Bill Gaiche]

Saw the Eclips here at 1:45 am. Sure got dark out. Took some photos but not good, needed tri pod. It was pretty neat though. bg

 

[Ianab]

Got a glimpse of it though a break in the clouds, but they came back over before I could get any good pics. 



Ian

[metalspinner]

Completely overcast and rainy out last night here.

Ianab,
That is a really cool pic there.  I can hear the Wolfman howling in the distance.

[Tom]

The news services (link) seem to always have someone in the clear to get  picture.

[fuzzybear]

  We had ice fog and I could only see once in a great while. But at least I got to see some parts of it.

[clif]

I was able to sit in my recliner and watch the eclipse develop, then about half way  through the stars started to break through and my favorite constellation became visible in stages right beneath the moon and it was a awesome show.  Orion has been my favorite since childhood when I was introduced to it a by a scout leader.  The Hunter!!!  When I first came to Alaska I had a small dog team and I trapped with a friend up in the mountains.  The running of the trapline was an over night experience where we stayed in a wall tent with a little barrel stove and a lot of grass and moss for a mattress.  My friend had made some "bridges" ( two logs set side by side) 16- 20 ft long to cross some small ravines, with snow on them they made a passable bridge barely  of course the dogs just flew across them and being on the sled you just followed One moon less night my friend yelled back " don't look down just look up at the stars", which I did and there was Orion!  We were above tree line and with the mountains all around he was just brilliant and you could see
 more of the stars that were in the constellation which I had not seen in many years.  What an experience that was!  Clif

[Tom]

Thanks for sharing that, clif.  Good Post!   It makes me want to go look for Orion.

[Warbird]

That's awesome, clif.  About half way through the total eclipse portion, we got clouds here in Fairbanks and it was barely viewable anymore.

[SwampDonkey]

I enjoyed your colorful story telling to. The part about flying over the log bridges because you was attached to the sled reminds me of Yukon Cornelius in one of them Rankin/Bass animations about Christmas. Only, he was always licking his pickaxe for gold dust each time he'd pitch it.