Total Lunar Eclipse - 21St December 2010

[AderynCoch]

Anybody getting up early to see it? You'll need to be in North America to see the entire event, but the UK & Ireland will witness at least some of the total stage before the Moon sets in the west. The further north and west you are, the more totality you will see: anywhere west of the U3 line on the map (Scotland and most of Ireland) will get to see all of totality with a good view of the western horizon. Also of course the weather will need to play ball!

Given that the Moon during totality will be in the exact opposite direction from Earth as the Sun, moonset will occur essentially at the same time as sunrise.

Start of penumbral phase (P1) - 5:27 GMT

Start of umbral phase (U1) - 6:32 GMT

Start of totality (U2) - 7:40 GMT

Greatest eclipse - 8:17 GMT

End of totality (U3) - 8:53 GMT

End of umbral phase (U4) - 10:02 GMT

End of penumbral phase (P4) - 11:06 GMT

(all images belong to the public domain)

Edited December 13, 2010 by AderynCoch

[Gray-Wolf]

I wonder how it will look? I love the 'blood moon' of a normal eclipse but with such a bright sky will it just be a 'pink moon'?

I believe there have only been one other 'winter solstice' lunar eclipse since A.D. started?

[vortex_liam]

I wonder how it will look? I love the 'blood moon' of a normal eclipse but with such a bright sky will it just be a 'pink moon'?

I believe there have only been one other 'winter solstice' lunar eclipse since A.D. started?

you may be right!

[jonboy]

I was reading on spaceweather.com that this could be spectacular because of hoe clean our upper atmosphere is at present. Clearest for 50 odd years

[toggerob]

Hoping for clear skies in the morning as I remember the Partial Lunar Eclipse of September 2009, which was aided by a "Venus Belt" allowing a darkening in the lower sky where the Moon was in Partial.

The same could happen again this time round, and with it being predominantly NW in the later stage, the natural Curvature of Earths Shadow may also aid darkening towards the North, albeit barely visual magnitude. Im just hoping the Low Pressure system to the South moves off before Dawn.

[AderynCoch]

Yes, wretched cloud! This is quite a dilemma: do I wake up early tomorrow and hope it's cleared up or would I be wasting my time? I just want assurances from the weather.

Edited December 20, 2010 by AderynCoch

[Gray-Wolf]

I think I'll have to sneak out onto the back field to get a chance of a good view???

Maybe over the back fence but that means clambering up -12.4c frozen, snow covered steps (wiv me camera etc.) and I'm turning into more of a wimp as each year passes......

[Beverley Lass]

Lucky here, very clear sky and it

is looking beautiful.

BL

PS. It is -13.6C !

Edited December 21, 2010 by Beverley Lass

[AderynCoch]

Did you get any pictures?

The stupid cloud which rolled in last night festered and screwed it up here. There's hardly any snow coming from it either to compound the felony.

Edited December 21, 2010 by AderynCoch

[Polarlow]

I took this video just before I left for work this morning, its not very good .... It was halfway towards totality....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mUlKf2PuYAs

[AderynCoch]

Nice.