February-20th-2008, 08:07 PM
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#1
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************
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Manchester United States of America
Posts: 15,521
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Lunar eclipse tonight, if you're up for it
An hour and 45 minutes away from this post time, and it is clear and cold where I am. Perfect viewing. Gonna take the trash out at ten EST and see what I see.
Coming Feb. 20: Total Eclipse of the Moon
By Joe Rao
SPACE.com Skywatching Columnist
posted: 07 February 2008
06:38 am ET
Mark Wednesday, Feb. 20, on your calendar as "Lunar Eclipse Night," for if the weather is fair you should have no difficulty observing a total eclipse of the moon.
The eclipse will be visible wherever the moon is above the horizon during the time frame that the eclipse is taking place. As it turns out, North and South America will turned toward the moon and will be in excellent position for this sky show.
Europe, Africa and a part of western Asia will also be able to see the eclipse, although for these regions the event will take place in hours just before sunrise on the morning of Feb. 21.
All told, given clear skies, about three billion potential eclipse viewers will be able to partake in the spectacle of the full moon becoming completely immersed in the Earth's shadow.
This will be the third total lunar eclipse within the past year. The previous two favored different parts of North America, but this one will be readily visible from start-to-finish across much of the continent, weather permitting.
The total phase will last 51-minutes and begins at 10:01 p.m. EST (7:01 p.m. PST).
Because some of the sunlight striking the Earth is diffused and scattered by our atmosphere, the Earth's shadow is not completely dark. Typically there are coppery red and orange hues cast over the moon at and near totality from sunlight refracted from our atmosphere around the edge of the Earth, giving the moon the appearance of an eerie glowing ball.
As a bonus, during the eclipse the moon will be situated, in our sky, near the planet Saturn and the bright bluish star Regulus in the constellation of Leo. The effect will be to create a uniquely beautiful triangle in the sky consisting of the totally eclipsed moon, a bright naked-eye planet and one of the 21 brightest stars in the sky.
Editor's Note: SPACE.com will provide a complete eclipse viewer's guide
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February-20th-2008, 08:37 PM
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#2
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Columnated ruins domino
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Melrose, MA
Posts: 9,999
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Should have good viewing in my back yard, if I'm awake and remember to look.
Last edited by Gentle Giant; February-20th-2008 at 08:37 PM.
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February-20th-2008, 08:39 PM
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#3
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************
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Manchester United States of America
Posts: 15,521
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Gentle Giant
Should have good viewing in my back yard, if I'm awake and remember to look.
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An hour and a half, GG. Worth the wait. Have a beverage.
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February-20th-2008, 08:56 PM
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#4
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Maundering Yokel
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Balbec
Posts: 1,103
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Head on out now. It's started and well underway. It's totality that's at 10.
__________________
"I know where I came from—but where did all you zombies come from?"
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February-20th-2008, 09:12 PM
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#5
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Isn't life WONDERFUL !
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Québec, Canada
Posts: 3,813
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Question:
Do disturbed people act disturbed on lunar eclipse like they do on full moon?
I bet I'm going to find out soon.
__________________
All or nothing at all
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February-20th-2008, 09:17 PM
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#6
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Most Loved JC User 2009®
Join Date: May 2003
Posts: 39,755
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I'm so pissed. I've been thinking about heading outside to check it out. So I take the dog out for a walk just a few minutes ago and promptly forget to look up at the sky. Guess I'll put the coat back on and check it out now.
__________________
"Wanna go, pretty boy?" -Carl Racki
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February-20th-2008, 09:21 PM
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#7
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************
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Manchester United States of America
Posts: 15,521
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Rob de SL is right!
It is on!
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February-20th-2008, 09:32 PM
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#8
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Most Loved JC User 2009®
Join Date: May 2003
Posts: 39,755
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Yep, St. Louis Bob called it right. Very cool.
__________________
"Wanna go, pretty boy?" -Carl Racki
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February-20th-2008, 09:35 PM
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#9
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************
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Manchester United States of America
Posts: 15,521
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Ii iii iit is al alll also vvvvv very cold outside.
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February-20th-2008, 09:36 PM
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#10
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banned
Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 0
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Agreed. In the teens here. And the moon is about half covered now.
Neato! 
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February-20th-2008, 09:43 PM
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#11
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************
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Manchester United States of America
Posts: 15,521
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It really does look cool. Organic. The blue/purple/red part looks like it could peel away from the selenic grey. Only I am so cold and I have dirt in my neck from lying against the bank of the Potomac.
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February-20th-2008, 10:02 PM
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#12
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Registered User
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: The big apple - North of the Core
Posts: 5,439
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We don't have any of that here.
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February-20th-2008, 10:13 PM
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#13
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Six decades
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Capital City
Posts: 12,801
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Beautiful here right now, with a below zero haze adding to the effect.
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February-20th-2008, 10:33 PM
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#14
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Game On
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Dar al Harb
Posts: 8,857
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A rare clear winter night in Northeast Ahia is providing primo viewing.
__________________
Life is so easy if you have no integrity
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February-20th-2008, 10:59 PM
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#15
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User
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Below the line
Posts: 9,884
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About 45 minutes ago, the moon was completely shadowed; it turned that cool coppery color. Reasonably low artificial light here, and moderate cloud cover, so it showed pretty well.
__________________
“What people say, what people do, and what they say they do are entirely different things.”
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February-20th-2008, 11:19 PM
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#16
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swing like crazy!
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Ithaca, NY
Posts: 3,440
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So glad it wasn't cloudy or snowing tonight!
Neato!
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February-20th-2008, 11:33 PM
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#17
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banned
Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 0
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One day I really do promise to learn how to use this super neato camera that I have. But, until then, here's the best pic I could manage this evening.
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February-21st-2008, 12:11 AM
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#18
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Next year....
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: The San Joaquin Valley, CA
Posts: 23,908
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Saw it...it was cool 
My daughter, the future scientist, thought so, too.
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February-21st-2008, 12:12 AM
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#19
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holier than thou
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Cape Cod
Posts: 8,708
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That's ten times better than what I could muster, Scott. I never have been able to get my camera to focus on far away light objects on a dark background.
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February-21st-2008, 12:16 AM
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#20
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Rahsaanaholic
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Pacific Northwest
Posts: 2,275
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It was lovely here just north of Seattle. Clearly visible despite the ubiquitous light pollution.
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February-21st-2008, 01:04 AM
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#21
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banned
Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 0
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jesus marion joseph
That's ten times better than what I could muster, Scott. I never have been able to get my camera to focus on far away light objects on a dark background.
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The wonders of a tripod.
Hell, I was pretty impressed with it. Though I'm sure I could do better if only I knew what the fuck I was doing...
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February-21st-2008, 01:56 AM
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#22
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Happy 50th, Alaska!
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Anchorage, Alaska
Posts: 16,985
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Scott Dolan
One day I really do promise to learn how to use this super neato camera that I have. But, until then, here's the best pic I could manage this evening.
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Nice shot, Scott!
And, totally impossible without a tripod!
I'm wondering if our son got a shot through his powerful telescope from California. I've viewed the moon through it, and it's staggering.
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February-21st-2008, 07:19 AM
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#23
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holier than thou
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Cape Cod
Posts: 8,708
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I was using a tripod, so that's not an issue. My camera just seems to have an inherent inability to focus on the moon, even if I attempt to manually override the settings. Oh well.
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February-21st-2008, 08:01 AM
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#24
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Registered Eater
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Monroe, Connecticut and/or Newfane, Vermont
Posts: 5,725
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My wife almost always takes photos in manual mode. Problem is she thinks it's in auto mode and the photos come out looking like shit. Jimmy Olsen she's not.
__________________
"The trouble with eating Italian food is that five or six days later you're hungry again." -George Miller
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February-21st-2008, 08:27 AM
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#25
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User
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Below the line
Posts: 9,884
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Scott Dolan
One day I really do promise to learn how to use this super neato camera that I have. But, until then, here's the best pic I could manage this evening.
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I dunno, this looks mighty cool to me. Well done, Scott!
__________________
“What people say, what people do, and what they say they do are entirely different things.”
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February-21st-2008, 08:55 AM
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#26
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Unflappable
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Jersey City, NJ
Posts: 15,849
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You wonder if the moon inhabitants are still primitive enough to get freaked out by this kind of event or if it's well understood there by now.
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February-21st-2008, 09:06 AM
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#27
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The Bluegrass
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: no country for old men
Posts: 30,835
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Damn! I didn't know about it and was out too. I did notice a star next to the crescent that isn't normally there and was wondering about it. Shit.
On the other hand, it was -3 F.
__________________
Away from the delusionary forces that turn music into a step to fame and fortune it becomes a reason to live." (David Morris)
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February-21st-2008, 09:46 AM
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#28
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Columnated ruins domino
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Melrose, MA
Posts: 9,999
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Saw it. Looked very much like Scott's photo. I'll look again in three years.
ECLIPSE
Pink Floyd
All that you touch
All that you see
All that you taste
All you feel.
All that you love
All that you hate
All you distrust
All you save.
All that you give
All that you deal
All that you buy,
Beg, borrow or steal.
All you create
All you destroy
All that you do
All that you say.
All that you eat
And everyone you meet
All that you slight
And everyone you fight.
All that is now
All that is gone
All that's to come
And everything under the sun is in tune
But the sun is eclipsed by the moon.
Change the last couplet:
And everything under the moon is a mirth
Cause the moon is eclipsed by the earth.
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February-21st-2008, 10:41 AM
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#29
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banned
Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 0
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What screen resolution do you have your comp set at? I can e-mail an exact size if you're interested.
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February-21st-2008, 11:28 AM
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#30
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banned
Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 0
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Ron Thorne
And, totally impossible without a tripod!
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A big "NO SHIT!!" on that one, Mr. Thorne. I tried to take a couple of hand held shots and that puppy was jumping around all OVER the place! 
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