Total Lunar Eclipse - 2008 FEB 20/21

[Notrump]

A total lunar eclipse will occur during the night of 2008 FEB 20/21. As with any Full Moon, it will be visible from the entire nighttime side of the Earth. Most or all of it will be seen in the Americas, Europe and Africa.

The maximum magnitude in the umbra will be 1.105. That means during totality the greatest separation between the edge of the umbra (dark portion of Earth’s shadow) and the nearest point on the limb of the Moon will be 10.5% of a lunar diameter. The greatest possible magnitude is 1.881.

This will be the last total lunar eclipse until 2010 DEC 21, although there will be three partial lunar eclipses between now and then.

Below are my predictions for the various stages of the event in Universal Time. I use the French Rule for shadow sizes and know of no other source that takes into account the oblate shape of the Earth.

00:37 UT – Moon enters penumbra (gray fringe shadow)
01:43 UT – Moon enters umbra (dark inner shadow)
02:18 UT – 50% of Moon’s diameter covered by umbra (magnitude 0.500)
03:01 UT – Totality begins (magnitude 1.000)
03:26 UT – Maximum eclipse (magnitude 1.105)
03:51 UT – Totality ends (magnitude 1.000)
04:34 UT – 50% of Moon’s diameter covered by umbra (magnitude 0.500)
05:09 UT – Moon exits umbra (dark inner shadow)
06:16 UT – Moon exits penumbra (gray fringe shadow)

I’ve created graphics that illustrate the stages of the eclipse as seen from Arlington Heights, Illinois and London, England. They should well serve most observers in North America or Europe. They can be seen by clicking: http://www.curtrenz.com/astronomical.html

Photos and descriptions of the eclipse would be welcome additions to this thread.

[Rrose Selavy]

"Hmm...totality"....
in homer Simpson voice.

[Deetee]

I was looking forward to trying to see this, but in the UK we have had nothing but dense cloud cover for several days. That is despite same clouds dumping millions of tons of water already. Where do they put it all - do they have hollow legs or something?

[Wolverine]

I was looking forward to trying to see this, but in the UK we have had nothing but dense cloud cover for several days.

You still have a chance unless those clouds plan on hanging around for another four weeks. ;)

[Mongrel]

You still have a chance unless those clouds plan on hanging around for another four weeks. ;)

Given the British weather.....

I'm not holding my breath ;)

[madurobob]

Why do the interesting celestial events always occur when its bone-chillingly cold outside?

Just once I'd like a total eclipse to happen on a clear weekend night in late June...

[Wolverine]

Why do the interesting celestial events always occur when its bone-chillingly cold outside?

Just once I'd like a total eclipse to happen on a clear weekend night in late June...


The last TLE took place on August 28th (http://sunearth.gsfc.nasa.gov/eclipse/LEmono/TLE2007Aug28/TLE2007Aug28.html) (which was nice and toasty for me :p), it just didn't accommodate observers in the UK and Europe.

While the Feb. 21st event may accompany chilly temps in many locations it's still well worth the effort to catch a peek -- as noted in the OP, the next TLE won't come along until December 21st, 2010 (http://sunearth.gsfc.nasa.gov/eclipse/LEplot/LEplot2001/LE2010Dec21T.GIF).

[m_huber]

NASA:

http://sunearth.gsfc.nasa.gov/eclipse/LEmono/TLE2008Feb21/TLE2008Feb21.html

[sthomson]

Thanks for the heads up! I never seem to hear about these things until after they occur.

"The church says the earth is flat, but I know that it is round, for I have seen the shadow on the moon, and I have more faith in a shadow than in the church" - Ferdinand Magellan

[Deetee]

You still have a chance unless those clouds plan on hanging around for another four weeks. ;)

:blush:

January...... February..... who's counting the days anyhow?



It's in my diary, now.
I just have to hope it's the 2008 one...

[MG1962]

It is funny a TSO is the one thing that seems to turn professional astronomers into kids. I saw a doco about the eclipse in Hawaii - At one of the major observatories, there were dozens of astronomers and technitians working their control panels making last minute adjustments to the batteries of experiments to be run during totality.

A spotter out side screamed - we have totality - and it was like the gates opening for a Rolling Stones concert - Everyone just dropped everything and charged outside to watch. I thought that was pretty cool actually

[Notrump]

Thanks for the heads up! I never seem to hear about these things until after they occur.

"The church says the earth is flat, but I know that it is round, for I have seen the shadow on the moon, and I have more faith in a shadow than in the church" - Ferdinand Magellan


You’re welcome. Usually I wait until an astronomical event is closer before providing an announcement, but by being early the news may have more time to spread. I'm glad that may have helped you.

That’s an odd quote from Magellan (AD 1480 – AD 1521). I’m no defender of the faith, but the church in his era had long accepted the science of Aristotle (384 BC – 322 BC). Aristotle knew the Earth was round and had a good estimate of its size. He used lunar eclipses as one of his proofs. However, he believed the round Earth was the center of the universe, as did the church. For more than two thousand years, educated people have been taught that the Earth is round.

Wikiquote claims the alleged Magellan quote is a misattribution. Here is a link: http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Ferdinand_Magellan

[sthomson]

Wikiquote claims the alleged Magellan quote is a misattribution. Here is a link: http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Ferdinand_Magellan

Probably true. I included it because I read it in some book or another this morning, and thought it a bit coincidental that a few hours later there was a thread about lunar eclipses.

[Notrump]

It’s not so hard for skeptics to get caught in the same trap as the credulous multitude when they see something on the internet or in a mass e-mailing that affirms their own worldview. Confirmation is still required before accepting and sharing such information with others. I might have accepted the alleged Magellan quote, if I had not known it is a myth that medieval and renaissance scholars (including churchmen) believed the Earth is flat. This myth was passed as truth to many of us by our grade school teachers when discussing the voyages of Columbus. Who knows what further nonsense they put into our heads?

Here are some good links regarding the myth of belief in a flat Earth:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flat_Earth_mythology
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flat_earth
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Round_earth
http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Ferdinand_Magellan
http://www.churchoffreethought.org/cgi-bin/contray/contray.cgi?DATA=&ID=000011010&GROUP=048

[Notrump]

Why do the interesting celestial events always occur when its bone-chillingly cold outside?

Just once I'd like a total eclipse to happen on a clear weekend night in late June...

There will be a partial lunar eclipse on Saturday, 2010 JUN 26. Since you give your location as “Lost in the Ozone”, I can’t really tell if you will be positioned to view it.

[Notrump]

Saturn will appear fairly close to the Moon during the eclipse. For some observers in South America, Regulus will be occulted during the initial penumbral phase of the eclipse.

[Rolfe]

I don't get this "UT" thing. If it's going to be visible from Britain, could we have that in GMT?

Rolfe.

[MG1962]

I don't get this "UT" thing. If it's going to be visible from Britain, could we have that in GMT?

Rolfe.

They are the same thing - UT is just a fancy smashy astronomy way of saying GMT - just to confuse the unwashed masses lol

[Notrump]

I don't get this "UT" thing. If it's going to be visible from Britain, could we have that in GMT?

Rolfe.

Universal Time (UT) is what you are currently using in Britain when not on daylight saving time. It is the term for the mean solar time at the prime meridian upon which Greenwich, England sits. The term is used worldwide without reference to any specific nationality. It is used in the sciences such as astronomy. Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) is often used to mean exactly the same thing, but it is ambiguous since in its original definition 00:00 was at noon, not midnight. Another term is Greenwich Civil Time (GCT) which is unambiguously the same as UT since both have 00:00 at Greenwich midnight. Actually, a more precise term in civil life is Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) which is marked by an atomic clock utilizing standard seconds and occasionally adjusted with a leap second.

[Notrump]

The eclipse will occur at the same real time for everyone on the dark side of the Earth during the night of FEB 20/21. Simply adjust the UT timings in my initial post in this thread to your time zone.

There is no need to adjust in the U.K. Here are the differences for U.S. observers. For EST subtract 5 hours or add 19 hours. For CST subtract 6 hours or add 18 hours. For MST subtract 7 hours or add 17 hours. For PST subtract 8 hours or add 16 hours.

[Deetee]

I don't get this "UT" thing. If it's going to be visible from Britain, could we have that in GMT?

Rolfe.
http://sunearth.gsfc.nasa.gov/eclipse/LEmono/TLE2008Feb21/image/TLE2008Feb21-GMT.GIF
I wanna know why its at 3 am here, when you yanks get it before midnight.

[Notrump]

Joe Guzmán who operates the Chicago Astronomer website will be hosting a public gathering outside Chicago's Adler Planetarium on Wednesday evening February 20 to view the total lunar eclipse. Bring your telescope or look through those brought by others.

[newolder]

Will the current events at Tungurahua, Ecuador be obvious during those 3 hours planet-wide? ed.

[Notrump]

Will the current events at Tungurahua, Ecuador be obvious during those 3 hours planet-wide? ed.


That’s an excellent question. The coloration of the eclipse will be essentially the same as viewed from all locations on Earth for which the Moon is well above the horizon. If the Ecuadoran volcano has placed enough ash into the atmosphere, the lunar eclipse may be darker than expected and not the copper hue that some have been hoping to witness. We may not know the answer until the eclipse occurs.

[Madalch]

For PST subtract 8 hours or add 16 hours.
So us British Columbians should look for totality around 7:00ish on the 20th rather than the 21st?

[Notrump]

So us British Columbians should look for totality around 7:00ish on the 20th rather than the 21st?


If you are on Pacific Standard Time then add 16 hours to the UT timings in my post at the top of this thread, but consider them to occur during the evening of FEB 20. Totality will commence at 7:01 pm PST on Wednesday.

[Rolfe]

Thank you. I may need to set my alarm! However, the weather forecast for Wednesday is lousy (just my luck as my car is in for repairs Wednesday and Thursday so I'm stuck with the bus and I hate walking down wooded, dark, unlit, muddy tracks in the pouring rain), so there may be nothing to see.

Those in clear conditions, please get the cameras out!

Rolfe.

[newolder]

www .shadowandsubstance.com/

animation for selectable time-zones.

[Notrump]

www .shadowandsubstance.com/

animation for selectable time-zones.


Thank you, newolder. Despite being selectable, the animated and static graphics both show the event in equatorial (celestial) coordinates. In reality we will view it in horizontal (Alt-Az) coordinates, as is the case with my charts.

The good news here in Chicago is that the sky forecast for the eclipse has been changed from cloudy to clear. Hooray! The bad news is that the projected temperature during the middle of the eclipse will be -1° F (-18° C). Booo! Brrr!

[newolder]

Thank you, newolder. Despite being selectable, the animated and static graphics both show the event in equatorial (celestial) coordinates. In reality we will view it in horizontal (Alt-Az) coordinates, as is the case with my charts.

The good news here in Chicago is that the sky forecast for the eclipse has been changed from cloudy to clear. Hooray! The bad news is that the projected temperature during the middle of the eclipse will be -1° F (-18° C). Booo! Brrr!

A 'good thing' about Earthly umbras is that coordinate-systems are a bit redundant, in my own view.


Wrap-up well, tho' it looks like it'll cloud-over for here. Booo! Hisss...

[newolder]

Thank you, newolder. Despite being selectable, the animated and static graphics both show the event in equatorial (celestial) coordinates. In reality we will view it in horizontal (Alt-Az) coordinates, as is the case with my charts.

The good news here in Chicago is that the sky forecast for the eclipse has been changed from cloudy to clear. Hooray! The bad news is that the projected temperature during the middle of the eclipse will be -1° F (-18° C). Booo! Brrr!

Coordinates to find the Moon? Well, i never...

Wrap-up warm, though it seems it'll cloud-in hereabouts. Booo! hisss...


Ooops! Anyhoo....

:-)
ed.

[NobbyNobbs]

Here's a question maybe you could help me with. My young son got a telescope from his uncle for his birthday, and we have yet to use it. (Actually, I cheated. In a failed attempt to line up the "red dot sight", I snuck a peek at the moon).

Now, I know a crescent moon is a much better spectacle for viewing than a full moon, due to all the shadows and such. Is the eclipse worth viewing through this telescope (it's not all that powerful)? Are we better off going to the local university and using theirs? Or are we better off just lying out in the field on our backs with a thermos of hot chocolate?

Thanks.

[Deetee]

Thank you. I may need to set my alarm! However, the weather forecast for Wednesday is lousy (just my luck as my car is in for repairs Wednesday and Thursday so I'm stuck with the bus and I hate walking down wooded, dark, unlit, muddy tracks in the pouring rain), so there may be nothing to see.

Those in clear conditions, please get the cameras out!

Rolfe.
In the North of England we have had clear skies day and night for 5 days in a row.

and today........?

Wall to wall cloud.



:mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad:
(me and my family)

[DrBaltar]

Why do the interesting celestial events always occur when its bone-chillingly cold outside?

Just once I'd like a total eclipse to happen on a clear weekend night in late June...

Sorry... impossible. The moon's orbit is inclined 5 degrees, so the only time you'll get the sun, earth, moon to line up is near the autumnal or vernal equinoxes, or near the beginning of the fall or spring seasons.

[DrBaltar]

Now, I know a crescent moon is a much better spectacle for viewing than a full moon, due to all the shadows and such. Is the eclipse worth viewing through this telescope (it's not all that powerful)? Are we better off going to the local university and using theirs? Or are we better off just lying out in the field on our backs with a thermos of hot chocolate?

Thanks.

A total lunar eclipse is a good sight in a low power telescope. The colors are more vibrant and you will see many more features on the moon.

[sts60]

"Tonight: Snow likely before 10pm. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 18. North wind between 9 and 15 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New snow accumulation of less than one inch possible."

Our lunar eclipse looks like it will last all night. :-(

[Notrump]

Sorry... impossible. The moon's orbit is inclined 5 degrees, so the only time you'll get the sun, earth, moon to line up is near the autumnal or vernal equinoxes, or near the beginning of the fall or spring seasons.


While it is true that the Moon's orbital plane is inclined by about 5° to the ecliptic plane, the statement regarding eclipses only occurring near the equinoxes is untrue. The two points on the celestial sphere where the planes appear to intersect are called the nodes. The nodes precess through the ecliptic with a cycle of 18.6 years. When a Full Moon occurs close to a node, a lunar eclipse is possible. Currently these are happening in February and August. They will occur earlier each year as the nodes continue through their cycle. As I informed madurobob above, there will be a lunar eclipse that generally meets his criteria on 2010 JUN 26, although it will be a partial one.

[DrBaltar]

Interesting, I stand corrected.

[mijopaalmc]

A related question:

Do lunar eclipses only occur at full moons and solar eclipses at new moons?

[DrBaltar]

Yes. This I am sure of. There are new moons and full moons, but usually they are not at their absolute maximum because during a full moon the sun is short of 180 degrees from the moon (failing to produce a lunar eclipse) and during a new moon, not directly behind the moon (failing to produce a solar eclipse). So lunar eclipses and solar eclipses are text book examples of full moons and new moons, respectively.

[Notrump]

Coordinates to find the Moon? Well, i never...




The point about coordinates was not in regard to finding the Moon. Diagrams utilizing different coordinate systems display the Moon moving at different angles and touching the umbra at different positions. The commonly seen diagrams employing equatorial coordinates often confuse folks who expect the eclipse shadowing to first and last appear on the Moon at positions other than the ones actually observed. That’s why I create diagrams using horizontal coordinates in which zenith is up, rather than celestial north being up as is the case with equatorial coordinates.

[Rolfe]

In the North of England we have had clear skies day and night for 5 days in a row.

and today........?

Wall to wall cloud.



:mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad:
(me and my family)


Same here. Last night was just beautiful, with a lovely moon. Today has been wet and cloudy, and right now there isn't a hint of a star. I was going to set my alarm, but forget it.

About this time last year there was a very nice eclipse, earlier in the night, and I watched most of it and my mother watched quite a bit with me. We've now moved house. I was looking forward to coming downstairs (no view from upstairs velux windows) and watching this one with her, from the new home. No chance.

:mad: :mad: :c1:

Rolfe.

[Deetee]

Well, at least I can se the moon, albeit thru mist.
Will set alarm for 2.30 and check again.....

[Agent : Orange]

Everything looks nice and clear from my vantage point. Winnipeg Manitoba Canada should have a nice show except for the temperature, which is hovering around -23 degrees Celsius (-36 deg C with windchill)!

[Rolfe]

My study window faces almost due south. Cloud cover appears to be total.

I'm going to bed. Nighty-night.

Rolfe.

[Notrump]

A beautiful Full Moon can now be seen rising in the eastern sky over Chicagoland. The sky is perfectly clear and will likely remain that way for the night. Hooray! The situation would be perfect here if we could get the temperature to rise above the current 14° F rather than fall to below zero. Brrr!

[666]

Thin cloud here in southwest England; looked like this 10 minutes ago. :(
http://www.davidewart.com/images/moon.jpg

[Miss Whiplash]

I am so disappointed!!! I have my ETX-90 tracking perfectly, the CCD ready and now clouds have rolled in.

Even SLOOH is a wash. Crap!

[fishbait]

Crystal clear here in upstate New York. Should be a good show. Got my LX200 10" all set.

[CapelDodger]

Same here. Last night was just beautiful, with a lovely moon. Today has been wet and cloudy, and right now there isn't a hint of a star. I was going to set my alarm, but forget it.

Same here. Several nights when the Moon hit your eye like a big pizza-pie, and now 8/8 frickin' cloud-cover. So I just fed the roses and came back inside.

[Madalch]

It was perfectly clear last night, totally cloudy today. Bah.

[BillC]

Not just the moon, but the whole sky is eclipsed.

[Dave Rogers]

Thin cloud here in Notlob, but clear enough to see the moon as the clouds drift across it. I can see the shadow nearly half way across, and I am now at last fully convinced that the Earth is, to a first approximation, circular in cross-section.

Dave

ETA: And in the time it took to post that, complete cloud cover ensues. Drat.

[Miss Whiplash]

Well, this just tears it. One time when I had all equipment working on first try, with no drama, and total cloud cover. I stopped hoping for a break in the clouds when it started sprinkling. Blah!:mad:

[fishbait]

The view from here is spectacular! Clear, crisp air with Saturn shining bright near the partially eclipsed Moon. Earth's disc is sharply defined on the Moon's surface through the LX200 10". Best Lunar eclipse I've seen.

The shadow is very dark with no red or orange tint. Almost opaque.

[CapelDodger]

Well, this just tears it. One time when I had all equipment working on first try, with no drama, and total cloud cover. I stopped hoping for a break in the clouds when it started sprinkling. Blah!:mad:

Nature's way of telling us not to get above ourselves :).

[Agent : Orange]

Other than the stupidly bitter cold outside, this is awesome.

[fishbait]

Almost half in shadow and turning a ruddy rust color. Amazing view through LX200 as umbra slowly covers craters. What a show!

[Notrump]

20:28 CST. 63% of the Moon’s diameter is covered by the umbra. Hmmm, the Earth’s shadow appears curved. Could that mean I’ve been wrong about the Earth being flat?

[NobbyNobbs]

We lucked out here. It was snowing earlier, but now it's as clear as....well, night.

[Miss Whiplash]

Nature's way of telling us not to get above ourselves :).

I sure someone is to blame. Where is Lisa? I've not seen her lately. :D

Here's a live feed from Friends of Astronomy in Argentina.
(http://www.slooh.com/eclipse.php) SLOOH is rained out.

[biostudent]

I intend to watch it soon with my hubby, in a hot tub. :D

It's cold as heck out right now, but the sky is crystal clear. That hot tub's gonna feel GREAT! (yes, we crazy Canadians like to sit in hot tubs outside in the winter. It's a great way to stargaze, actually.)

[Miss Whiplash]

Going...Going...

Ahhhhhggghh! Lost the server in Argentina!!!

[3bodyproblem]

saw a jet out of Detroit Metro flying into Canadian airspace. People with window seats on the rightside of the plane got there money's worth tonight. ;)

[Miss Whiplash]

http://forums.randi.org/imagehosting/thum_948847bcec350e858.jpg (http://forums.randi.org/vbimghost.php?do=displayimg&imgid=10922)

From Argentina via SLOOH.

[President Bush]

I don't see any thing. Ergo, no moon.

****ing NASA

[JoeEllison]

That was pretty cool. We got a nice view of it, until the clouds moved in.

[jsfisher]

Crystal clear here in upstate New York. Should be a good show. Got my LX200 10" all set.

It's about time, too. Seems like upstate weather has ruined quite a few celestial viewing events. Tonight, however, is absolutely perfect.

[fishbait]

It's about time, too. Seems like upstate weather has ruined quite a few celestial viewing events. Tonight, however, is absolutely perfect.Yep. This is a special treat. I'm at 3200' elevation in the darkest part of the Catskill Preserve. Excellent seeing conditions.

[jsfisher]

Yep. This is a special treat. I'm at 3200' elevation in the darkest part of the Catskill Preserve. Excellent seeing conditions.

I'm a county or two north and across the Hudson, and only at a mere 400' elevation, but it is still excellent.

[N.Texas]

I got a few pictures off before the clouds rolled in. Don't check my Meta Data the time stamp is wrong. This was around 9:15 PM central time.

http://www.tcheedle.com/022008-6.jpg

[Notrump]

Here’s a photo I captured of the lunar eclipse two minutes after maximum totality. It was taken from Arlington Heights, Illinois on 2008 FEB 20 at 21:28 CST. Saturn is toward the lower left and Regulus near the top. A reddish hue is apparent on the Moon. Even though the eclipse was in totality, the lower right limb of the Moon appears brightened because as viewed from that region the Sun would have been barely hidden by the Earth. The coloration and brightening were enhanced by the 0.4 second exposure and F/2.4 aperture.

http://www.curtrenz.com/LunarEclipse.jpg

[N.Texas]

Saturn is toward the lower left and Regulus near the top.

I didn't think to look at my exposures for stars or planets. I did capture both. Thanks for the info.

[Agent : Orange]

Those are some beautiful photographs!

[Soapy Sam]

Rained all night.
Goddidit.