In a rarity, both lunar eclipse and winter solstice 3:17 AM

General discussions
User avatar
BallOil
Posts: 19409
Joined: Thu Feb 04, 2010 11:12 pm

Unread post

There are not many days like Tuesday, Dec. 21, 2010. Take it from people who know - astronomers. There was maybe one day like this Tuesday in the past 2,000 years.

On Tuesday morning, astronomers say, there will be - or depending on when this is read, was - a total eclipse of the moon. And on the very same day, the winter solstice arrives.

The last time the two celestial events occurred within the same calendar day was long before any of our lifetimes. The year, according to Geoff Chester, the public affairs officer at the U.S. Naval Observatory, was 1638. Although the solstice does not always occur on the same date each year, the date in 1638 will be the same as Tuesday's - Dec. 21.
A total lunar eclipse occurs when the Earth blocks the sun's rays from the face of the moon. The moon is then fully in the shadow cast in space by the Earth.

The absolute midpoint of the eclipse will be at 3:17 Tuesday morning, Chester said.

The moon then continues moving through the Earth's shadow, emerging completely shortly after 5 a.m.
more

I think this will be a good experience...Will be up and probably worth the hour lost of sleep :)
Post Reply