# Total Lunar Eclipse Wednesday night (2/20) **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 18, 2008, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/total-lunar-eclipse-wednesday-night-2-20/438110 "2008-02-18T16:23:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Anne\_Neville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Anne\_Neville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anne_Neville)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2008, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/total-lunar-eclipse-wednesday-night-2-20/438110/1 "2008-02-18T16:23:04Z")
There will be a total lunar eclipse visible from the Americas and western Europe this Wednesday night. [NASA page with eclipse info](http://sunearth.gsfc.nasa.gov/eclipse/LEmono/TLE2008Feb21/TLE2008Feb21.html). Lunar eclipses are cool, so you should get out and try to see it if the weather cooperates where you are. [weather.com](http://weather.com) is saying “AM snow showers” for Wednesday here in Pittsburgh, so I can hope… ---
**Author:** ![Rayne\_Man](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/df705f/32.png) [@Rayne\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rayne_Man)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2008, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/total-lunar-eclipse-wednesday-night-2-20/438110/2 "2008-02-18T19:24:42Z")
It’s going to be a bit late here (after 1am) and we have had some very foggy nights just lately. Pity really, as this is the last total eclipse visible in the UK for the next seven years. ---
**Author:** ![Giles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giles/32/60_2.png) [@Giles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giles)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2008, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/total-lunar-eclipse-wednesday-night-2-20/438110/3 "2008-02-18T19:39:10Z")
The last total lunar eclipse was on August 28th last year, early in the morning my time, though I got up to see and photograph it. If the weather is clear, this is a better time for me 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2008, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/total-lunar-eclipse-wednesday-night-2-20/438110/4 "2008-02-18T21:31:50Z")
It won’t be visible here, but we got the accompanying partial solar eclipse a couple of weeks ago. ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2008, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/total-lunar-eclipse-wednesday-night-2-20/438110/5 "2008-02-18T21:39:04Z")
We’re expecting rain. Not that I’d see it anyway - it’s way past my bedtime. But I’ve seen lunar eclipses in the past, and they’re definitely cool! ---
**Author:** ![h.sapiens](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e0b2c6/32.png) [@h.sapiens](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/h.sapiens)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2008, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/total-lunar-eclipse-wednesday-night-2-20/438110/6 "2008-02-19T16:38:58Z")
I’ve been looking forward to this, but it looks like it’ll be at least partly cloudy and quite cold tomorrow night. I’ll keep checking, just in case, though. ---
**Author:** ![whiterabbit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/cab0a1/32.png) [@whiterabbit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whiterabbit)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2008, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/total-lunar-eclipse-wednesday-night-2-20/438110/7 "2008-02-19T17:57:23Z")
Aw, crap, it looks like I’ll be at work. Another time, I guess. ---
**Author:** ![Bobotheoptimist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/919ad9/32.png) [@Bobotheoptimist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bobotheoptimist)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2008, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/total-lunar-eclipse-wednesday-night-2-20/438110/8 "2008-02-19T18:16:44Z")
I’ll probably drag the kids somewhere away from the city lights, maybe bribe them with crappy fast food or good ice cream or something. Great time for it (around here) 8-9PM. We could even get them home in time for bed ---
**Author:** ![Anne\_Neville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Anne\_Neville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anne_Neville)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2008, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/total-lunar-eclipse-wednesday-night-2-20/438110/9 "2008-02-19T18:23:40Z")
[QUOTE=Bobotheoptimist] I’ll probably drag the kids somewhere away from the city lights [/quote] Why? There’s no need, really, unless the light pollution where you are is so bad that you can’t see the moon. ---
**Author:** ![Bobotheoptimist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/919ad9/32.png) [@Bobotheoptimist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bobotheoptimist)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2008, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/total-lunar-eclipse-wednesday-night-2-20/438110/10 "2008-02-19T18:36:51Z")
[QUOTE=Anne Neville] Why? There’s no need, really, unless the light pollution where you are is so bad that you can’t see the moon. [/QUOTE] It’s not that bad, but the mountains are only 30 minutes away and the orange glow might be better that way. Also, all the trees around the house block a lot of the sky. And I like heading up to the hills. ---
**Author:** ![Rebo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rebo/32/13005_2.png) [@Rebo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rebo)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2008, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/total-lunar-eclipse-wednesday-night-2-20/438110/11 "2008-02-19T19:19:20Z")
Cool! Thanks for the link! I think it’s going to be overcast tomorrow night, though. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![GrizzRich](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/7ba0ec/32.png) [@GrizzRich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrizzRich)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2008, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/total-lunar-eclipse-wednesday-night-2-20/438110/12 "2008-02-19T21:20:37Z")
My daughter (age 3) loves the Shel Silverstein poem _Battle In The Sky_. There’s a line in it “and the moon was rubbed RED”. Can’t wait to show her it’s TRUE! ---
**Author:** ![Savannah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b3f665/32.png) [@Savannah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Savannah)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2008, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/total-lunar-eclipse-wednesday-night-2-20/438110/13 "2008-02-20T03:01:19Z")
Dang, it looks like it will be cloudy tomorrow night. I will go out and look up, though, just in case! The first lunar eclipse I remember seeing was a really “red” one–it’s a vivid and dramatic memory. ---
**Author:** ![Annie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/858c86/32.png) [@Annie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2008, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/total-lunar-eclipse-wednesday-night-2-20/438110/14 "2008-02-20T03:17:14Z")
Damn, and I had plans to get faced tomorrow night! ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2008, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/total-lunar-eclipse-wednesday-night-2-20/438110/15 "2008-02-20T03:53:10Z")
[QUOTE=Annie] Damn, and I had plans to get faced tomorrow night! [/QUOTE] And that means…? (PS - Turn the flash off on your cameras. The light won’t make it from the source, to the object, and back to the source in in time: trust me!) ---
**Author:** ![Morgyn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morgyn/32/3041_2.png) [@Morgyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgyn)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2008, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/total-lunar-eclipse-wednesday-night-2-20/438110/16 "2008-02-20T04:58:02Z")
Phooey. Looks like we’re going to have overcast skies and maybe snow tomorrow night. Guess I’ll just relive the memory of the first (and only) lunar eclipse I’ve ever seen, which happened to be an August at Pennsic, many years ago. I was coming over a hill and stopped to watch it. Down the hill, the Dark Horde was drumming to bring the moon back. It was eerie, and primal, to stand there watching the moon turn red and dim, feeling the drumbeat pulse through my body. ---
**Author:** ![Angua](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8baadc/32.png) [@Angua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Angua)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2008, 9:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/total-lunar-eclipse-wednesday-night-2-20/438110/17 "2008-02-20T09:55:30Z")
Gah! I was so looking forward to this (well apart from the fact that totality occurs at 4 frigging am over here), but I wake up this morning, and its horrible and cloudy. Grrrr. ---
**Author:** ![si\_blakely](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@si\_blakely](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/si_blakely)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2008, 10:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/total-lunar-eclipse-wednesday-night-2-20/438110/18 "2008-02-20T10:39:12Z")
Risk of fog down south in the UK - shame, cause I had fun trying to photograph a lunar eclipse about a year ago. Using a tripod and timer triggered slow exposure I had a few good shots, but I really need a good telecon. We will see if I am still awake at 1am (which may involve the co-operation of the missus) 😉 Si ---
**Author:** ![Flutterby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Flutterby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flutterby)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2008, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/total-lunar-eclipse-wednesday-night-2-20/438110/19 "2008-02-20T16:07:31Z")
If it’s as clear as it was last night, I’ll be able to see it sitting from my living room. The moon was straight out the window, above the houses and trees and perfectly clear last night and my Mom was watching it waiting for the eclipse (which starts ~7 ish but won’t be complete until 8ish I think I heard) until the news guy said ‘tomorrow night’. Last one I recall seeing was on a Halloween night. We were out trick or treating under it, very cool. ---
**Author:** ![Mint\_Julep](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/bc79bd/32.png) [@Mint\_Julep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mint_Julep)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2008, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/total-lunar-eclipse-wednesday-night-2-20/438110/20 "2008-02-20T16:12:50Z")
It is supposed to be cloudy here in MS, but I am going to cross my fingers for hope of some visibility! [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/total-lunar-eclipse-wednesday-night-2-20/438110.md?page=2)