Sky watchers will have an extra thrill Monday night as the first total lunar eclipse for 2010, and also the first in two years overlaps the winter solstice, the first time this has happened in 456 years. Having both a total lunar eclipse and winter solstice in December 2010 is a treat in itself. But having both occur the same night, overlapping each other, is especially nice. NASA is especially excited, and will be hosting an all-night chat-fest online at their website (see below). Everyone in North America will have a great opportunity to view this event, weather permitting, as well as most of Central America and northwestern South America. Even our friends in Hawaii will be able enjoy this one. So what is a lunar eclipse? Let’s get some details.
The show begins at 05:29:17 UT, Universal Timezome, or 29 minutes after midnight, Tuesday on the East Coast of the USA. The Total Eclipse occurs about two hours later, at 07:40:47 UT with the ‘Greatest Eclipse’ at 08:16:57 UT. The total eclipse ends at 08:53:08 UT, and the whole event wraps up at 11:04:31 UT. The absolute best location for observing this lunar eclipse in all of it’s glory would be on America’s west coast, from southern California to Baja, Mexico, at 3:17am PST.
Unlike a solar eclipse, this one you can watch with the naked eye. During a solar eclipse, the Moon comes in between the Sun and Earth, blotting out the Sun. But in a lunar eclipse, the Earth blocks the Sun, casting a dark shadow across the face of the Moon. At the midway point, the moment of total eclipse, the Moon takes on a distinctive copper-color.
Naturally, telescopes and binoculars will aid in observations. The use of these ‘light buckets’ increases the amount of light your eyes will see, and provide magnification as well. But, as you folks whom have read my other articles on amateur astronomy already know, the night sky moves. So ‘astro-photography’ requires a motorized drive unit if one wants to take quality pictures since objects in the sky move at about one degree every four minutes.
So tomorrow tonight we will have a spectacular show as the last total lunar eclipse for December 2010 occurs at the same time the winter solstice takes place, the first time this has happened in 456 years. From late Monday night into early Tuesday morning, sky-watchers in North America, especially on the west coast, as well as Central America and northwestern South America, will have the best view. Unfortunately, most of Europe, Asia and all of Africa will not be in position to view the event. For idea of what you will see during the lunar eclipse Monday night, watch the video below taken from Hawaii during a lunar eclipse in 2007. I’m sure all of you with a ’special interest’ in such matters will be thrilled.
Related Articles:
Get Ready for Winter Solstice Lunar Eclipse
Solstice-eclipse overlap first in 456 years
December 19th, 2010 at 8:54 am
Were you anastonomy major in college or are you an amateur star gazer or something? OMG…..
December 20th, 2010 at 3:25 pm
As a child of the Great Space Race, I’ve been a fan of all things space-related my whole life. I was (and still am) an amateur astronomer from my youth. Did take a class in college, which was great fun. We learned how to calculate the rate galaxies are accelerating away from us by the ‘red-shift’. Plus I had the added bonus that the teacher was also one of my favorite physics professors. I was the guy who always sat in the front row to answer every question and laugh at all the prof’s corny jokes!
December 20th, 2010 at 3:40 pm
Ron, what’s your problem with Astronomy? These are the only interesting articles that Andy writes!
December 20th, 2010 at 4:35 pm
Cant see the sky tonight anyway.
Pineapple express will be bringing Ca. another system in few days. We’ve gotte more than 20 inches in some places the last two days
They get all the attention only because the sht freezes and over here it rolls right into the ocean. But not without its little floods and landslides here and there, overflowing cesspoools, all that good stuff.
And everyone drives like returd
December 20th, 2010 at 4:45 pm
Hey Ron.
Maybe all the Atheists will see this as some sign of a rising for them.
You can betcher ass theres plenty of moonbats wearing their wizard hats seeing this in some obscure political manner.
Proof that their is no God and that Gaia is in sync with the celestial powers that be.
December 20th, 2010 at 4:48 pm
there, their, they’re…
those fckers get me everytime
December 21st, 2010 at 3:34 am
Awww, Micky, that sucks! Too bad the weather was not cooperating for you and your son.
LOL, Snow Crash! Don’t you even like my articles when I beat up on Wall St. fat-cats?
December 21st, 2010 at 7:41 am
LOL, Snow Crash! Don’t you even like my articles when I beat up on Wall St. fat-cats?
I guess those ones are pretty good too.
You can betcher ass theres plenty of moonbats wearing their wizard hats seeing this in some obscure political manner.
Proof that their is no God and that Gaia is in sync with the celestial powers that be.
Christianity is the belief that some cosmic Jewish Zombie can make you live forever if you symbolically eat his flesh and telepathically tell him that you accept him as your master, so he can remove an evil force from your soul that is present in humanity because a rib-woman was convinced by a talking snake to eat from a magical tree. I’m just sayin…
December 21st, 2010 at 1:41 pm
Snow.
You can preach that crap to the gerneralized population. My spiritual beliefs are my own.
I in fact do believe there is a plan and purpose for mankind/humanity but would never be so arrogant to think I have the mental archtechture to explain or understand it in full.
If there is no after life I’ve got nothing to worry about.
But, I believe their is some form or fashion so the best I can do is humble myself to the basic laws I understand to be right and wrong. I have faith in a power greater than me. And it is not the power that grants wishs thru prayer but what you’ve done with the gifts you were born with.
If there is an after life, by your logic, you might have something to worry about.
It all works too well, it all fits together too well. I do believe theres other life out there and dont buy everything the bible tells me.
But thats just me and the same reason theres so many denominations of christianity.
I hate organized religion as much as I do big government.
December 21st, 2010 at 2:03 pm
Snow, BTW…
The inside reason I posted “Proof that their is no God” is because that a$$hat James Foley told me that he’d proven there is no God.
December 21st, 2010 at 3:01 pm
I hear you Mick and actually feel similar. I too believe there is something beyond this life – I’m not going to get into oogie-boogie stories or any of that but I’ve had two experiences in my life (both with my wife involved) that were just beyond rational explanation and were proof enough for me that some form of intelligent consciousness does in fact live on after one passes away. I think there are a lot of good things to learn from the Bible and like you I believe there’s a lot of crap to sift through as well.
December 21st, 2010 at 6:13 pm
Very true Mick. You answer snow? snow is a brian in training…
December 21st, 2010 at 6:14 pm
I meant, a gimp in training…