total lunar eclipse Monday night (Tuesday AM)

[Rick in PA]

CNN had an interesting link on this:
http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/OH/OH2010.html#LE2010Dec21T
Scroll down, nice graphic, times appear to be EST.

 

[Artem]

Will this be visible from FL?

 

[Rick in PA]

If you can see the moon, you can see the lunar eclipse (they're not like a solar eclipse).

 

[Shannow]

I'm still fascinated in the coincidental sizes and orbits of the Earth and moon that they fit each other perfectly, and are on the same plane.

Amazing coincidence.

 

[Lethal1ty17]

Originally Posted By: Shannow
I'm still fascinated in the coincidental sizes and orbits of the Earth and moon that they fit each other perfectly, and are on the same plane.

Amazing coincidence.


they're on the same plane because the earth's gravity due to its larger mass captured the moon into an orbit. this same gravity is what locked it into synchronous orbit and causes the moon to rotate such that only one side of it is ever seen by humans on earth, and the infamous "dark side of the moon" has only ever been seen in person by astronauts slingshotting around the backside of it.

 

[dkryan]

I could have sworn Pink Floyd also saw the Dark Side of the Moon!

That eclipse should be well worth watching if you care to view it between 1:30 a.m. and 5 a.m. EST on Tuesday morning.

 

[dwendt44]

The similarity in size is temporary. The moon is moving away from
the earth and in so doing, the moon will slow and the lunar month will lengthen. The 'apparent' size of he moon will be smaller as well.

 

[Rick in PA]

Originally Posted By: Shannow
I'm still fascinated in the coincidental sizes and orbits of the Earth and moon that they fit each other perfectly, and are on the same plane.

Amazing coincidence.


Yes, many amazing coincidences about our planet, the temperature, the existence of abundant free water, an atmosphere rich in oxygen... If you scaled the earth to a 7" (or 200mm) globe, the area where mankind could freely exist would only be .002" (or .06mm) thick. It's like an orb spinning through space, covered with a bio-film. I wonder how many others there out there...

 

[rpn453]

I've never watched one. I'll check it out if we get a clear night.

 

[Audi Junkie]

Originally Posted By: Artem
Will this be visible from FL?


No.

Middle East.

 

[rpn453]

Originally Posted By: NASA
The entire event is visible from North America and western South America. Observers along South America's east coast miss the late stages of the eclipse because they occur after moonset. Likewise much of Europe and Africa experience moonset while the eclipse is in progress. Only northern Scandinavians can catch the entire event from Europe. For observers in eastern Asia the Moon rises in eclipse. None of the eclipse is visible from south and east Africa, the Middle East or South Asia.

 

[Benzadmiral]

Originally Posted By: Shannow
I'm still fascinated in the coincidental sizes and orbits of the Earth and moon that they fit each other perfectly, and are on the same plane.

Amazing coincidence.

You mean that the size of the full moon as seen from Earth during an eclipse is the same size as the sun as seen from Earth -- as if they were cut from the same pattern? I know; it's amazing indeed.

The moon doesn't ride in the same plane above the Earth, though. It swings, I think, about 20 degrees north and south of the equator. Otherwise we'd have an eclipse of the sun every month at the full moon!

 

[Audi Junkie]

I was wrong. The graphic in the link says no.

 

[Benzadmiral]

Oops, wrote too fast. I meant to say, "The moon doesn't ride in the same plane above the Earth, though. It swings, I think, about 20 degrees north and south of the equator. Otherwise we'd have an eclipse of the moon every month at the full moon!"

 

[Al]

Checked it out this morning. I caught a glimpse of it. Too much cloud cover.

 

[rpn453]

I went for a long walk last night and caught most of it. Thin cloud cover, but still visible through it. It was about -20C but calm so I figured it was a good way to view it while getting some fresh air.