Total Lunar Eclipse


	Light Pollution \| Satisfaction Guaranteed \| About Starry Nights \| View My Cart



		Shop By Type

		Outdoor Lighting Brass & Copper Sconces Metallic Wall Mounts Metal Ceiling Mounts Metallic Pendants Ceramic Wall Sconces Ceramic Wall Mounts Ceramic Ceiling Mounts Ceramic Pendants Wall Lanterns Outdoor Light Shades Landscape Lighting Deck & Pathway Lighting Motion Sensors Recessed Lighting Dark Sky Certified Post Mount Lights Address Lights Turtle Friendly Lighting Light Bulbs Commercial Lighting Architectural Lighting Area Lighting Bollard Lights Sports Lighting Sign Lighting Wall Packs Fluorescent Lighting Low Pressure Sodium High Pressure Sodium Metal Halide Interior Lighting Interior Wall Sconces Interior Pendants Chandeliers Bath / Vanity Lighting Ceramic Lamps Ceiling Mounts Ceiling Fans

	Lighting By Brand Adjusta-Post Lighting ALLScape Lighting AmeriTec Lighting Beta Lighting Besa Lighting Bulbrite Cables Plus Wire Delux Custom Lighting Exceline Lighting Gardco Lighting GE Lighting Systems Glare Buster Hadco Lighting Justice Design Group Kalco Lighting Kichler Lighting Lightway Industries LSI Lighting Solutions Lumoform LED Light Bulbs Lutron Lighting Controls Magnaray International Minka Group Northeast Lanterns Pinnacle Architectural Progress Lighting RAB Lighting Sea Gull Lighting SPJ Lighting Steel Partners Stonco Lighting TORK Turtle Safe Lighting Ultra Lights U.S. Architectural Lighting Vision 3 Lighting Wide Lite
Resources Contact Us Privacy Policy Site Map

« Keep Your Light To Yourself Exploring the Night Sky »

Tonight (at least if you are living in the right part of the World and if the weather cooperates) you will be able to observe a rare total lunar eclipse.

For this to occur the Sun, Earth & Moon must be aligned. The full moon will move into the Earth’s shadow so that all sunlight is blocked from reaching the moon’s surface.

If you are a looking from a light polluted area you will most likely only see the moon become “invisible”. However, if you are fortunate enough to live in an area that is not affected by light pollution then you could see the moon turn shades of copper, orange, or blood red. The effect is similar to the color changes observed during sunrises or sunsets, depending on clouds and dust in the atmosphere.

On a historical note, the type of lunar eclipse that we will observe tonight is the exact same type of lunar eclipse that saved Christopher Columbus and his crew during their 4th voyage in 1504.

Stranded on the coast of Jamaica, the explorers were running out of food and faced with increasingly hostile local inhabitants who were refusing to provide them with any more supplies.

Columbus, looking at an astronomical almanac compiled by a German mathematician, realized that a total eclipse of the Moon would occur on February 29, 1504.

He called the native leaders and warned them if they did not cooperate, he would make the Moon disappear from the sky the following night.

The warning, of course, came true, prompting the terrified people to beg Columbus to restore the Moon — which he did, in return for as much food as his men needed. He and the crew were rescued on June 29, 1504.

If you miss seeing the total lunar eclipse tonight, the next time you will be able to observe another (total) eclipse will be December 21, 2010.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, February 20th, 2008 at 4:46 pm and is filed under Astronomy, Light Pollution, Starry Night Lights. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

Total Lunar Eclipse

Leave a Reply

Meta