Now you can make the same deduction as the ancient Greeks-- the Earth is round, because it casts a round shadow during a lunar eclipse. This means (right this minute, at totality-- actually I think I saw a sliver of light starting to return) that the Moon is exacly on the opposite side of the Earth from the Sun-- so the Moon---Earth----Sun (distances not to scale!) make a perfect straight line. and to answer Clare's original question, full moon= moon on opposite side of the Earth from the Sun. Rises at sunset, sets at sunrise. new moon-- on same side of Earth as the Sun. Rises at sunrise, sets at sunset. First quarter: Halfway between. Rises at noon, sets at midnight. Last quarter-- left as an exercise for the student.

This doesn't mean I have lost my sense of wonder. It's BEAUTIFUL out there (and COLD) and I'm glad it cleared off in time to watch. We have our first snow of the winter, about 3" on the ground. Any Mudcatters up for an expedition to watch the next total SOLAR eclipse? 6/21/01, solstice 2001 off the coast of Angola, and I intend to be there, God willing. PETE