Anyone else see the total lunar eclipse tonight? It’s just about ended and it was lovely. We had crystal clear skies and a perfect view.
The best eclipse I ever saw was a total solar in St. Louis in 1994 in May, four days before my wedding. As the sun began to be eaten away, the leaves on the trees turned into pinpoint cameras and the ground was covered with slivers of the sun. Some of the post docs were out with a telescope and filter so we could have a really good view.
I was awe struck as the sun went into totality. Just as the sun went dark the quality of the light shifted to something that almost felt like dusk, but was decidedly different. It had an odd feel that was heavy all around us. All at once flocks of birds that had been roosting in the mid-day sun rose up, chipping and squawking, and swooping around in that eery light. As soon as the smallest sliver reappeared the odd quality was over and it was just dim. The birds settled back down and the magical moment was over.
Tonight the moon is almost back to being full; there is just a small nibble removed. Soon that will be back and the evening will go on.
We got a reasonably good view here in the Dominican Republic. My husband is a photographer and is out taking photos as we speak, so I might have some good shots to link to later.
The clouds parted right about when there was 5 minutes of totality left. Part of it was red
while the other part (away from the bright terminator) was very duskily dark.
It was kind of funny - some friends and I had gone sledding around sunset. I noticed the sliver of moon while the sun was setting, and a bit later thought “Hey, that looks bigger!” Later still… “That is just NOT right!” - then I remembered seeing mention of a lunar eclipse. Glad we got to see it - this is the first day it hasn’t been snowing in a while!
It rose here with a great big chunk out of the top right quadrant; in the wrong place for a normal crescent, and with an odd curvature to it too. It’s a good thing I knew it was an eclipse, or it’d have given me the willies for sure. I checked with binoculars, and was pleased to see the darkened section glowing a dull red.
Now it’s shining all happy and round through my window.
^^ That’s about how it was when I saw it. Living on the west side of a hill sucks sometimes. I knew the moon was supposed to rise mid-eclipse, but i forgot that at my house I don’t see anything that rises in the east until a half-hour later. I got in the car and drove up the hill to a flatter part of town for a better view.
Had a great view here. One thing that seemed odd – it was supposed to be total, but even at what was meant to be the middle of totality, the top edge remained white throughout, while the rest was deep red. Any idea why that happened?
Maybe I have the date wrong- but I really thought that was it- it was total eclipse. Maybe I’m mixing up the total eclipse I saw in St. Louis with that one near my wedding???
I’ll have to check the link…
Hate to double post, but…
I checked out the date- is it possible the Solar eclipse I saw In St. Louis was an annual, but really close to totality? The entire sun was covered, but, it being my first eclipse I have no basis of comparasion to a total eclipse.
Well, it was beautiful and eery and a favorite memnory, none the less.
