For over the last 15 hours, I have been moon-obsessed, prompted by the winter solstice total lunar eclipse. It was, literally, a once in a lifetime event.
I stepped out of my apartment at around midnight (Pacific Standard Time) and walked about half a block of my street to take a chance for a good skyward angle. However, it was cloudy and was still lightly raining so there was no moon visibility.
So, I logged in instead to the NASA website and their recommended links for live web streams that I tested. I found one which captured the best shot and I was mesmerized.
It was nearly 1:00 a.m., Los Angeles, CA time when I began to notice the sliver of white brightness from the upper left side of the red-orange colored moon. The totality of the eclipse was beginning to taper off. Gradually, I saw the shadow fade like a curtain, as the brightness of the moon began to re-emerge.
It was quite dramatic. It was also fascinating to appreciate the power of technology in making it accessible to witness a celestial event such as this, and share with fellow enthusiasts beyond borders.
The last time when total lunar eclipse coincided with winter solstice was more than three centuries ago on Dec. 21, 1638. It will happen again on Dec. 21, 2094. For sky watchers in the continental United States, the next total lunar eclipse will not be seen until April 15, 2014.
For a moment in time, the moon looked like a red bowling ball suspended in the dark skies.
No comments:
Post a Comment