yo dudes and dudettes, check it out--a total lunar eclipse on wednesday:
lunar eclipse info
On Wednesday night, Feb. 20, for the third time in the past year, the moon will become completely immersed in the Earth's shadow, resulting in a total lunar eclipse.
As is the case with all lunar eclipses, the region of visibility will encompass more than half of our planet. Nearly a billion people in the Western Hemisphere, more than 1.5 billion in Europe and Africa, and perhaps another half-billion in western Asia will be able to watch _ weather permitting _ as the brilliant mid-winter full moon becomes a shadow of its former self and morphs into a glowing coppery ball.
Almost everyone in the Americas and Western Europe will have a beautiful view of this eclipse if bad weather doesn't spoil the show. The moon will be high in a dark evening sky as viewed from most of the United States and Canada while most people are still awake and about.
Local conditions
The only problematic area will be along the Oregon and northern California coast, where the first partial stage of the eclipse will already be under way when the moon rises and the sun sets on Wednesday evening. But if you have an open view low to the east, even this situation will only add to the drama, for as twilight fades, these far-Westerners will see the shadow-bitten moon coming into stark view low above the landscape. And by late twilight observers will have a fine view of the totally eclipsed lunar disk glowing red and dim low in the eastern sky.
lunar eclipse info
lunar eclipse info
On Wednesday night, Feb. 20, for the third time in the past year, the moon will become completely immersed in the Earth's shadow, resulting in a total lunar eclipse.
As is the case with all lunar eclipses, the region of visibility will encompass more than half of our planet. Nearly a billion people in the Western Hemisphere, more than 1.5 billion in Europe and Africa, and perhaps another half-billion in western Asia will be able to watch _ weather permitting _ as the brilliant mid-winter full moon becomes a shadow of its former self and morphs into a glowing coppery ball.
Almost everyone in the Americas and Western Europe will have a beautiful view of this eclipse if bad weather doesn't spoil the show. The moon will be high in a dark evening sky as viewed from most of the United States and Canada while most people are still awake and about.
Local conditions
The only problematic area will be along the Oregon and northern California coast, where the first partial stage of the eclipse will already be under way when the moon rises and the sun sets on Wednesday evening. But if you have an open view low to the east, even this situation will only add to the drama, for as twilight fades, these far-Westerners will see the shadow-bitten moon coming into stark view low above the landscape. And by late twilight observers will have a fine view of the totally eclipsed lunar disk glowing red and dim low in the eastern sky.
lunar eclipse info
VIEW 10 of 10 COMMENTS
Looked up when I got home, and saw the moon beaming from a crystal clear sky. Got all excited, and started rushing around fitting together odds and ends to take a couple of eclipse photos.
Found that my Fujifilm A340 camera with the lens pushed into the rubber eyecup of a Russian Typnct-6, 20x50, 30x50 spotting scope does a fair enough job, even hand-held (need to remember to bring my tripod home one of these days ...).
I went in the house to download the images, and see how the experiment had fared, then went to the NASA site to find out what time the moon would start to disappear.
What? It should already be in partial eclipse by now ... today is Tuesday .... bonehead! (and yes, the forecast is still calling for snow).
Even though light flurries were coming down I did not get shut out, and did amazingly well capturing her splendor taking into account the gear I'd hobbled together.
Just as she returned to fullness clouds started scudding in ...