Everybody is all a-twitter (and a-Facebook, and a-blog, etc) about the lunar eclipse. It's tomorrow, technically, except that by the time most of you read this, it will have already happened.
There's much being made of the significance of it. Or, I should say, the coincidence of it, since no interstellar forces are going to rain frogs upon us or anything. It happens that this total lunar eclipse falls on the same day as the winter solstice. Many internet folk are therefore proclaiming it "truly the darkest day of the year." Personally, I think that would be more accurate of a winter solstice coinciding with a new moon. Still, the "it's only happened once before in 2000 years" is kind of cool.
But really, regardless of the timing, I just happen to think lunar eclipses are pretty cool. You can actually look at them, for starters, unlike those far less observable solar eclipses. And they typically result in that cool "blood moon" effect that's just neat to look at -- and that probably made our distant ancestors cower in their caves in fear.
Anyway, I'm going to step outside for a moment (bundled up, of course) and enjoy it for a while on this perfectly clear night before I head off to bed.
2 comments:
Well, it's been overcast for something like a year and a half over here, so no eclipse for me.
I can stay warm in my cave.
FKL
But at least you got to see the Merchants and Marauders boats. That's almost as cool as a universal light display.
Jean-Luc
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