December 10, 2011 December 10, 2011 Lunar Eclipse - Minnesota View

This morning there was a lunar eclipse, in some parts of the world it was a total eclipse, here in Minnesota is was partial as you can see. I always try to witness these astronomical events myself. They are a rare sight in nature, these particular setups are unique only to this planet and they are cool to watch. 


This morning's event was easier to catch since the eclipse started right before sunrise it started about 6:30am CST and I lost sight of the moon about 7:30am CST. I didn't have to try to stay up real late or get up any earlier than I already do to catch this one. The hard part was the weather, 7 degrees F with a brisk wind. I planned for it, put on the long johns, hats, but when working with a camera you need your full hand. Man oh man did my fingers get cold. It was worth it. I was able to photograph the eclipse but unfortunately was unable to watch it slip past the horizon as there was a cloud bank moving in. I was actually  hoping to get a 180 degree panoramic shot of the selenelion that this eclipse had.

A selenelion is a physical impossibility but an effect caused by the Earth's atmosphere allowing you to see the eclipse and the sun at the same time. It's like looking through a drop of water and how the light gets bent around. An eclipse is where the sun, earth and moon are in alignment and the moon is in the shadow cast by the Earth. You can't be between the light source and the item in the shadow unless you have an optical illusion going on, which is what a selenelion is. The clouds prevented it and if they weren't there, the hills east blocked the true horizon. Next time.

Comets, norther lights, eclipses, meteor showers, all fantastic and must see events to see how small we really are and how much else is going on around us that we ignore or take for granted. It's worth the effort and little lack of sleep... that's why they invented naps.

End of Line.

Posted in: Weather