Lunar Eclipse
Tonight, across most of the United States, star-gazers will be able to see the a rare lunar eclipse. This will be the second lunar eclipse of the summer and a series of 5 eclipses this year. I wonder if that is a lot or not? It seems like it to me. You can see the path of the eclipse here.
So, what exactly is a lunar eclipse as opposed to a solar eclipse, etc.? A lunar eclipse happens when the moon passes behind the Earth blocking the suns rays. The earth, moon and sun have to be aligned very closely so that the earth is in the middle, thus causing the effect.
Astrologers have traditionally thought ill of the lunar eclipse. Since the lunar cycles supposedly impact our emotions and thought processes, any disruption to that cycle is thought to be bad. They are a bad omen and (it’s thought) tends to lead to domestic strife, especially amongst women (I’m not making this up, I swear).
I believe that just about anyone in the United States who is east of the Rocky Mountains will be able to enjoy this somewhat rare occasion. I plan on taking my kids outside to have a glimpse if possible. I always enjoy teaching the kids something about science, especially if they might just sit down and shut up for 10 seconds. Did I say that out loud? In any event, enjoy the lunar eclipse and may it not portend your doom!
Lunar Orbit
August 5th, 2009 at 1:41 pm
You know with my luck it will be cloudy tonight.
August 5th, 2009 at 1:47 pm
Charles…same here.
August 5th, 2009 at 2:03 pm
JoAnne:
I once sat at there one summer night when I was a kid for 2 hours with my dad.
August 5th, 2009 at 2:19 pm
Lol..I’m an old broad…can’t tell you how many times I’ve sat out there and seen nothing, although I have see a few. When my children were younger I used to take them out for *special* events, like the eclipse, but they weren’t impressed.
August 5th, 2009 at 3:38 pm
This is happening because of………..Global warming. When I was a kid we never had 5 in one year. That damn Earth-hater Bush caused this to happen.
The sky is falling.
August 5th, 2009 at 3:45 pm
LMFAO, awesome George.
August 5th, 2009 at 3:56 pm
hey,what time will it be central time,this’ll be the second one I’ve seen in my LIFE.
August 5th, 2009 at 4:13 pm
Emily, my understanding is right after the sun goes down.
August 5th, 2009 at 7:05 pm
The moon could not be any more full right now here in the eastern US. Are you sure there’s an eclipse tonight?
August 5th, 2009 at 7:10 pm
Steve, I’m no scientist, I just play one on the Internet. I think the window for catching the eclipse already passed though. My understanding was that it was going to be most visible at about 8:30 EST.
August 6th, 2009 at 12:28 am
Saw an amazing lightening/thunderstorm…total bummer!
August 6th, 2009 at 8:46 am
This will be a penumbral eclipse and will NOT be visible to the human eye.
August 6th, 2009 at 3:29 pm
Maybe it will be visible to a dog’s eye? or a cat’s eye?
August 7th, 2009 at 10:18 am
[...] Eclipse 2009 Lunar Eclipse August 2009Tonight, across most of the United States, star-gazers will be able to see the a rare lunar eclipse. [...]
August 11th, 2009 at 8:17 pm
wtf wat tfime does it start?