Tuesday - 2007 lunar eclipse

[stop the bleeding]

The Moon will fall into the Earth's deep shadow on Tuesday, taking on a lustrous red or orange hue during the second total eclipse of 2007.

Star gazers in east Asia and across the Americas will be able to watch as our planet's natural satellite is consumed by celestial dragons, as the Chinese once thought.

~snip~

The color cast by refracted light -- which can range from bright orange to blood red to copper to dark gray -- depends on the amount of volcanic gas and dust in the atmosphere blocking the Sun's light.

In the absence of recent eruptions, the Moon should be a vivid red or orange, according to NASA.





http://rawstory.com/news/afp/Get_ready_for_second_total_lunar_ec_08262007.html



Fundies should enjoy the part about the vivid red, referencing the writings from John of Patmos of course.

[Maddy McCall]

1. On the eve of the second anniversary of Katrina....

I think that my son and I will plan something outside for that night. Two years ago, we were watching the initial cloudy bands from Katrina fill the sky.

Here's a better link...gives more information:

http://sfsidewalkastronomers.org/newsarticles/news/augeclipse


Total Lunar Eclipse August 28, 2007

There will be a total eclipse of the Moon, visible from San Francisco, just after midnight on the the night of Monday August 27 - Tuesday August 28.What is a Lunar Eclipse?Set your alarm clocks and get ready for an all-nighter spectacle. A Lunar eclipse occurs when the Moon moves into the Earth's shadow.

Because the Moon's orbit is slightly tilted with respect to the Earth's orbit around the sun, we see Lunar eclipses only occasionally - about twice per year if you are able to travel anywhere in the world. If the Moon's orbit weren't tilted against Earth's orbit, we would see two eclipses every month: a Solar eclipse every New Moon, and a Lunar Eclipse every Full Moon.

When and How to Observe

The eclipse will begin at 12:54 a.m. Pacific Daylight Time on the morning of August 28. Totality will be reached at 2:52 a.m. PDT, when the Moon will fully be in the Earth's shadow. Totality ends at 4:22 a.m., and the Moon will exit the Earth's shadow fully at 5:24 a.m., right before sunrise.

To view the eclipse, no special equipment or location is necessary - just go outside and look up! You'll see the curved shadow of the Earth slowly march across the Moon's surface over a period of a few hours.

You'll also notice the Moon turning a shade of dark reddish brown or orange as it is engulfed by Earth's shadow. The reddish-brown color is caused by sunlight passing through Earth's atmosphere. Dust and pollution in our atmosphere absorbs most colors of light, but passes through the red part of the spectrum. The remaining light colors the Moon. (This is the same reason sunsets appear red).

[renate]

2. thanks so much!

My daughter was really disappointed about missing the Perseid meteor shower (it was cloudy here), so this will be something to look forward to.

Thanks again!