"Total Eclipse of the Heart Moon"

This morning was a fascinating time to be gazing up at the sky. Not only was it an absolutely gorgeous night (cool breeze, stars, etc), it also resulted in the second lunar eclipse of the year.

A lunar eclipse, for those not up on astronomy, occurs when the Earth passes between the sun and moon, casting a shadow across the moon's surface. In a total eclipse, this results in the moon "disappearing" from the sky for a short while. Usually, lunar eclipses are rare because the moon is either above or below the plane of the Earth's orbit -- but this year we're in luck: this is our second total lunar event (the first being back in March).

Here in Milwaukee, the eclipse began at 3:51 am (CST). An hour later the moon was completely obscured, and will remain so until 6:22 am. By 7:24 am, the earth's shadow will have passed, and the moon will be full again. Nine minutes later, the sun will rise, and the day will begin.

There won't be another total lunar eclipse until February 28, 2008. And after that, the sun, earth, and moon won't be perfectly aligned again until December 21, 2010.

-Jon
posted by Jon at 5:23 AM  I   I  0 comments