|
|
|
|
Dave W.
Info Junkie
USA
26022 Posts |
 Posted - 10/27/2004 : 11:17:54
|
Tonight, starting at 8:48 PM (Eastern time), will be a nice lunar eclipse. Hope to see it, if these clouds get the heck out of here.
Edited to add: turns out, the next lunar eclipse won't be until March of 2007, so see this one if you can!
|
- Dave W. (Private Msg, EMail)
Evidently, I rock!
Why not question something for a change?
Visit Dave's Psoriasis Info, too. |
|
|
Valiant Dancer
Forum Goalie
USA
4826 Posts |
Posted - 10/27/2004 : 11:47:22 [Permalink]
|
quote:
Originally posted by Dave W.
Tonight, starting at 8:48 PM (Eastern time), will be a nice lunar eclipse. Hope to see it, if these clouds get the heck out of here.
Edited to add: turns out, the next lunar eclipse won't be until March of 2007, so see this one if you can!
Folks in the US will be treated to a more reddish hue to the eclipse due to steam and ash in the atmosphere from Mt. St. Helens. |
Cthulhu/Asmodeus when you're tired of voting for the lesser of two evils
Brother Cutlass of Reasoned Discussion |
 |
|
|
Siberia
SFN Addict
Brazil
2322 Posts |
Posted - 10/27/2004 : 13:36:58 [Permalink]
|
| Damn the clouds! |
"Why are you afraid of something you're not even sure exists?"
- The Kovenant, Via Negativa
"People who don't like their beliefs being laughed at shouldn't have such funny beliefs."
-- unknown
|
|
|
|
Dave W.
Info Junkie
USA
26022 Posts |
|
|
Dave W.
Info Junkie
USA
26022 Posts |
|
|
H. Humbert
SFN Die Hard
USA
4574 Posts |
Posted - 10/27/2004 : 23:13:39 [Permalink]
|
I walked outside of work to get a good look at it.
As I climbed to the top of the parking garage and the reddish-brown shadow slipped over the moon and dissolved the last sliver of silvery light, I found myself feeling slightly conflicted.
On the one hand, the relative rarity of the cosmic dance enfolding before my eyes lent the proceedings a ceremonial solemnity. I found myself pondering what our forebears made of such celestial oddities, and reflected upon how far us homo sapiens have come. I shuddered under the sheer enormity of what was transpiring--the eons of lunar and planetary rotations aligning with the utter precision which produced this singularly awesome spectacle.
On the other hand, eh. The moon dimmed.
|
"A man is his own easiest dupe, for what he wishes to be true he generally believes to be true." --Demosthenes
"The first principle is that you must not fool yourself - and you are the easiest person to fool." --Richard P. Feynman
"Face facts with dignity." --found inside a fortune cookie |
| Edited by - H. Humbert on 10/27/2004 23:14:38 |
|
|
|
Dr. Mabuse
Septic Fiend
Sweden
9688 Posts |
Posted - 10/27/2004 : 23:45:19 [Permalink]
|
quote:
Originally posted by H. Humbert
I walked outside of work to get a good look at it.
<snip>
I shuddered under the sheer enormity of what was transpiring--the eons of lunar and planetary rotations aligning with the utter precision which produced this singularly awesome spectacle.
On the other hand, eh. The moon dimmed.
What was an awesome spectacle was the total eclipse of the sun I experienced in Munich August 1999. More animals were awake to be affected by the sudden drop of luminosity, making them think it was evening already.
(The Diamond Ring was beautiful enough to almost bring tears to my eye, though it lasted only a few seconds before and after the totality. What did bring tears to my eye was when I realized that the film in my camera had slipped when I loaded it, making the camera unable to wind the film as I snapped shot after shot... The film ended up blank, and when I realized what a mistake I had made I was ready to commit suicide, then homicide on the camera )
Birds stopped their singing, thinking it was time to tuck themselves in. Though there weren't any cows around, I've been told that back in the fifties in Sweden during the last totality here, they started mooing for their farmer to come and collect them for the evening milking. That must have been weird too...
|
Dr. Mabuse - "When the going gets tough, the tough get Duct-tape..."
Dr. Mabuse whisper.mp3
"Equivocation is not just a job, for a creationist it's a way of life..." Dr. Mabuse
Support American Troops in Iraq:
Send them unarmed civilians for target practice..
Collateralmurder. |
|
|
|
dominic_dice
Skeptic Friend
United Kingdom
53 Posts |
Posted - 10/28/2004 : 01:26:52 [Permalink]
|
| Damn clouds! I had to get up at 2 am, only to realise that his was bloody raining! Grrr... |
"Are you THE dominic_dice"
"No, a dominic_dice. I come in six packs now" |
|
|
|
ljbrs
SFN Regular
USA
842 Posts |
Posted - 10/28/2004 : 17:49:50 [Permalink]
|
It was beautiful. The sky up here was clear (which is a rarity in Michigan). A full eclipse of the Moon is somewhat of a rarity. There are partial eclipses, which are much more common, but a full eclipse of the Moon (by the Earth) does not happen that often.
Incidentally, according to my copy of The American Heritage Dictionary, Second College Edition, an "enormity" is defined as: "1. The quality of passing all moral bounds; excessive wickedness or outrageousness; 2. A monstrous offence or evil; outrage." I doubt if a full eclipse of the Moon by the Earth could be defined this way. Perhaps it is an outrage if someone has forgotten to look at it (perhaps because it lasts a very long time), and is despondent about that.
Then again, a great many people would not care.
The Lunar Eclipse was gorgeous this time. I am fortunate that I remembered to watch the splendid Lunar Eclipse often throughout the long evening).
I am a Life Member of the IDA (International Dark Sky Association). Having something fantastic which can be seen clearly in the night sky is a blessing, in spite of the lousy light pollution one endures if one lives near civilization.
ljbrs |
"Innumerable suns exist; innumerable earths revolve about these suns in a manner similar to the way the seven planets revolve around our sun. Living beings inhabit these worlds."
Giordano Bruno
(Burned at the stake by the Roman Catholic Church Inquisition in 1600) |
|
|
|
Chippewa
SFN Regular
USA
1496 Posts |
Posted - 10/28/2004 : 22:24:22 [Permalink]
|
From Northern California: It was great seeing the moon a redish color. Looked a bit Mars-like!
I really had fun as the eclipse was ending. Set up the telescope and, with careful focusing of the Barlow lense, could actually watch the Earth's shadow roll across the lunar surface. Pretty astounding. |
|
|
|
 |
|
Topic Locked
