BS: Last total one until 2010 19 Feb 2008 Wed nite

Subject: BS: Last total one until 2010
From: katlaughing
Date: 19 Feb 08 - 11:35 PM

Looks like it will be too cloudy, here. Hope some of you get to see this:

Lunar Eclipse to Occur Wednesday Night

By ALICIA CHANG – 10 hours ago

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The last total lunar eclipse until 2010 occurs Wednesday night, with cameo appearances by Saturn and the bright star Regulus on either side of the veiled full moon.

Skywatchers viewing through a telescope will have the added treat of seeing Saturn's handsome rings.

Weather permitting, the total eclipse can be seen from North and South America. People in Europe and Africa will be able to see it high in the sky before dawn on Thursday.

As the moonlight dims — it won't go totally dark — Saturn and Regulus will pop out and sandwich the moon. Regulus is the brightest star in the constellation Leo.

Jack Horkheimer, host of the PBS show "Star Gazer," called the event "the moon, the lord of the rings and heart of the lion eclipse."

Wednesday's event will be the last total lunar eclipse until Dec. 20, 2010. Last year there were two.

The weather could be a spoiler for many in the United States. Cloudy skies are expected for most of the Western states with a chance of snow from the heartland to the East Coast, said Stuart Seto of the National Weather Service.

"It looks like it's going to be a hard one to spot," Seto said.

A total lunar eclipse occurs when the full moon passes into Earth's shadow and is blocked from the sun's rays that normally illuminate it. During an eclipse, the sun, Earth and moon line up, leaving a darkened moon visible to observers on the night side of the planet.

The moon doesn't go black because indirect sunlight still reaches it after passing through the Earth's atmosphere. Since the atmosphere filters out blue light, the indirect light that reaches the moon transforms it into a reddish or orange tinge, depending on how much dust and cloud cover are in the atmosphere at the time.

Wednesday's total eclipse phase will last nearly an hour. Earth's shadow is expected to blot out the moon beginning around 7 p.m. on the West Coast and 10 p.m. on the East Coast. West Coast skygazers will miss the start of the eclipse because it occurs before the moon rises.

Unlike solar eclipses which require protective eyewear, lunar eclipses are safe to view with the naked eye.

Later this year, in August, there will be a total solar eclipse and a partial lunar eclipse.
On the Net:

    * NASA's lunar eclipse page: http://sunearth.gsfc.nasa.gov/eclipse/lunar.html

Subject: RE: BS: Last total one until 2010
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 19 Feb 08 - 11:49 PM

I haven't heard Jack Horkheimer in years--I had completely forgotten about him. Funny little guy who walks on a galaxy runway on his little PBS blurb. Is he still doing those?

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Last total one until 2010
From: catspaw49
Date: 19 Feb 08 - 11:57 PM

Cool!

And I'm with SRS.....Is his show still being done or on somewhere? It isn't here.

Spaw

Subject: RE: BS: Last total one until 2010
From: katlaughing
Date: 20 Feb 08 - 12:41 AM

Looks like you can watch a podcast of him, now: Jack star gazer dot com

Subject: RE: BS: Last total one until 2010 19 Feb 2008 Wed nite
From: Donuel
Date: 20 Feb 08 - 07:40 PM

WHile I was watching a FLE back in May 1975 I saw a large metorite hit the upper left hand quadrant of the moon with a halo explosion that went a 1/3 of the diameter of the moon outward and when it began to dissipate a second smaller explosion could be seen.

During another FLE, the clouds were exteremly low and fast moving but most fascinating was how they were illuminated by that crazy peach red color of the eclipse.

Subject: RE: BS: Last total one until 2010 19 Feb 2008 Wed nite
From: Mrrzy
Date: 20 Feb 08 - 08:08 PM

Well, I didn't see this one, I searched for Eclipse and when there wasn't anything, started something! Maybe the elves will combine both the threads and the title, since *mine* at least says what it's about (*BG*)!

Bummer of a cloudy night is the gist, and does the whole planet get the same eclipse at the same time, as I would reckon?

Subject: RE: BS: Last total one until 2010 19 Feb 2008 Wed
From: maeve
Date: 20 Feb 08 - 08:57 PM

Mrrzy- I believe that kat's AP news story posted above will answer you question.

Subject: RE: BS: Last total one until 2010 19 Feb 2008 Wed nite
From: gnu
Date: 21 Feb 08 - 08:03 AM

So? How was it for you?

Subject: RE: BS: Last total one until 2010 19 Feb 2008 Wed nite
From: Mrrzy
Date: 21 Feb 08 - 08:22 AM

It cleared up just in time - I lay in my warm bed and looked up at the moon going orange, it's such a lovely thing, and so nice that we can predict them and not be afraid of witches eating the moon (as I heard people say in Africa when I was smaller)!

Subject: RE: BS: Last total one until 2010 19 Feb 2008 Wed
From: maeve
Date: 21 Feb 08 - 10:05 AM

I only made it until about an hour into the transformation. I couldn't see it from my bed: That would have been lovely, Mrrzy! So I missed the beautiful color transformation, but enjoyed seeing the cookie bite appear.

maeve