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Submitted by StephanieS on Wed, 2008-02-20 13:41.
Does anyone have any plans to watch the eclipse tonight? It will be the last full lunar eclipse we will see until December of 2010.
Also with tonight's eclipse we are getting a special treat! If you have a telescope you will be able to see Saturn's rings pretty well.
Tonight when/if you are watching there will be what look like two very bright stars on either side of the moon. One will be Saturn and the other will be a star called Regulus. They say it is going to start around 10pm our time.
Were also going to have a full solar eclipse this year too.
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thanks I was going to post something about this on here
Looking forward to it!
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080218/ts_afp/spaceastronomyeclipsemoon
Thanks for posting that! How funny huh?
Sorry Stephanie - there is not a total eclipse of the sun visible from North America until Aug 21, 2017.
I'll be outside tonight showing the neighbors -
use a pair of binocs - much better than a telescope or even your eye.
CNN.com lied to me! Will there be one just not visable? They said it would be in August?
And binoculars? Really?
No it say's another plan was brought up earlier for a Publix amongs other thing such as department stores etc.
So Marissa,
Publix or some department store will be having a total eclipse? What great news, I can't wait to buy one.
Thanks for the timely and accurate information!
Stop it... if we ignore it... it might go away!
I think your head has been eclipsed.
Ok you can stop with all the immature comments now!!
Ok you can stop with all the immature comments now!!
Will you stop?
Oh, but I'm serious. You are obsessed by the Wally-World/Publix thingies. Stop and take a breath. You'll possibly notice that there are other issues in life that are totally unrelated to these issues that have "eclipsed" your view of reality.
The Clinton News Network lied? No! hahahahah - sorry
Look here for eclipse info instead of CNN:
http://sunearth.gsfc.nasa.gov/eclipse/eclipse.html
There is a solar eclipse [2 min 27sec max] visible from northern Nunavut in Canada - 70 degrees plus North latitude - across Ellsemere Island, Greenland, northern Russian, Siberia into Mongolia and China - not exactly either the most accessible nor the best weather - lots and lots of clouds, even up north in the dead of summer.
While the CNN report might technically be true, no one is gonna see this except people who make a serious effort to get there. The next total solar eclipse even remotely visible from North America where anyone actually lives is on Aug 21, 2017. Those folks still around will not have to drive far since the zone of totality cuts South Carolina directly in half that day. Should be spectacular - over 4 minutes of totality. I'll get over 30 minutes in the shadow of the moon with that one, unless I decide to go to China next summer for over 7 minutes of darkness at noon.
Yes - BINOCULARS. ANY decent pair of binocs will render a spectacular view of the lunar eclipse this evening. The three-d effect of the binocs will truly astound you - try it out - much better than telescopes.
NO eye protection is needed - it is perfectly safe to watch using your own eyes.
The moon passes through the 'southern' half of the Earth's shadow. Since it is summer in the southern hemisphere and the air in the tropics is mostly ocean, do NOT expect this eclipse to be a very dark red. It will be more of an burnt orange I expect, with northern or top edge of the moon to be darker than the bottom, which is closer to the edge of the shadow.
I recall a total lunar eclipse in December 1992, right after two huge volcanic eruptions - there was so much dust in the atmosphere the moon almost disappeared - it was literally a dark deep maroon - virtually indistinguishable from the dark sky surrounding it. Expect tonight to be a dark burnt orange - tending toward a brighter orange on one end.
Joe, thanks for the binoc tip. It works great on the 20x60's. I never have done that. It makes it look like an opaque ball. The 3rd dimension becomes obvious. Really a sight to see.
I am officially bummed now. I was looking forward to seeing it.
I was wondering why the eclipse last night wasnt as "red" as I remember the last one. Thanks for explaining that to us!
And looking at it through binoculars was fabulous! Little bummed that I didnt have a telescope to see Saturns rings though...
Tonight's sky boasts a double feature, with a lunar eclipse starting at 8:43 followed by a U.S. military attempt to shoot down a crippled spy satellite around 9:30.
The last total lunar eclipse until Dec. 20, 2010, occurs tonight, with cameo appearances by Saturn and the bright star Regulus on either side of the veiled moon.
Skywatchers viewing through a telescope might also see Saturn's rings. Unlike solar eclipses, which require protective eyewear, lunar eclipses are safe to view with the naked eye. The weather could be a spoiler for many in the U.S., but clear skies are expected in the area.
WHAT IS IT: A total lunar eclipse occurs when the full moon passes into Earth's shadow and is blocked from the sun's rays that 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. Tonight's total eclipse starts at 10:01.
TIMING:
Beginning of partial eclipse: 8:43 p.m.
Beginning of total eclipse: 10:01 p.m.
End of total eclipse: 10:51 p.m.
End of partial eclipse: 1:27 a.m.
go look!!!! It's wonderfull!
...an awesome sight!
Quite beautiful, best one I've ever seen. The bright star on the left is Saturn?
Interesting to see the clouds moving behind the moon. 11:27 PM.