Just in case you've missed this - tomorrow night (or tonight if you are reading this on Saturday 3rd) there will be a total eclipse of the moon - it's suppose to be one of the best for years and with clear skies forecast -well it's something to get excited about. It starts around 20 past eight and the total eclipse will take place about 2 hours later.


Goldfinch

oh thanks - I'd not heard of this one. Will stick my head out of the nest and have a look.

oh thanks - I'd not heard of this one. Will stick my head out of the nest and have a look.
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Or as I meant to say in my last missive before it posted itself midstream - I'm glad you got the news maggiemay. It's a bird thing!

Enjoy

Oh cool! Will look out for it.

I saw one a few years back........wonderful! Will keep my eye on the weather forecast - what's the betting it will be cloudy up here????!!!

when you say unmissable do you mean that it is actually impossible to miss and the image will be projected into my eyes however much I attempt to avoid it?

Of course!

just checking.

Apparently it will be a Blood Moon

If it is - how lovely will that be! I'll keep an eye out, after watching dancing on ice of course!

Me too! That sounds great! I'm hoping it won't be cloudy up here (it will be a miracle if it's clear!)

Actually, a gentleman from the Cork branch of Astronomy Ireland rang in to the office where I work and told me about this last Wednesday. He was very enthusiastically encouraging everyone to get out and see it, but I had completely forgotten about it, so it's good to be reminded of it .

Incidentally, he didn't say anything about the blood moon thing, so it's nice to know that. He did say that total cover of the moon is supposed to last for a whole 74 mins though - seems amazing. I think he said from 22:45 to 23:58 for that part of the eclipse. The skies look fairly clear here at the moment, so hopefully it should be visible

I think that's about right - there is a link on the bbc news website if you want to check

The eclipse will be more red if there is more debris in the atmosphere. As there haven't been any large volcanic eruptions recently, the atmosphere is quite clean, so it is likely to be relatively pale red.

And the cloud has just moved in extremely thickly here, of course

I'm a bit confused - will the moon actually be showing up with all the red/orangey colours before the eclipse actually starts then? Or does that only happen once the shadow starts to cross it?

Hehe I thought that but my rather more intelligent friend actually read the sciency bit of the article and explained it

But she thinks "intelligent" is overselling herself a bit. I disagree.

Ooh I've got me telescope set up out front. Moon is very big and clear tonight. Hope some chav doesn't come past and nick it (the telescope that is, not the moon)...

I'm really puzzled - I'm sure I saw it earlier on my way to the Chinese takeaway. Must have been cloud cover instead.

It's soon folks!




I'm going to take pictures from my bedroom window.

Sorry Lizbun - the Beeb website said an hour sooner - anyway it's now 9.30 and it's just starting - I've been going frantic for an hour!!!

Wow - and not a cloud in the sky.

See yer later

Thta's why there was nothing going on

It's changing shape....when will it start turning pink?

I'm trying to take pictures of the moon, but would my small camera work...?

YAY YAY YAY this is exciting - I was just about 2 start a thread about it but sum1 els did me the honour. I want it to go pink. NOW!!!
Not that I'm impatient or anything...

yep - we've got ours set up at the back - have just seen saturn. Lovely clear night here - enjoy the view !

oh wow oh wow oh wow
*thinks - okay calm down alice!*

It'll get embarrassed if we stare at it long enough I guess ...

My two eldest kids begged me to wake them up when it was time to see the moon change. I just went up to give them a nudge and they were in such a deep sleep all I managed to get was 'go away' out of them !! lol

The clouds are covering it here in Cornwall, so I can't see a thing

[quote]The clouds are covering it here in Cornwall, so I can't see a thing [/quote

Aww - that's tragic - it's fantastic - fab photo David - thanks. It's now gone very dark red - a bit oppressive - unlike the earlier pinky glow.

It was a wonderful clear sky here in Kent! Eclipse was very clear to see. Lovely.

What a fantastic photo! We went out just after 10.30 to watch it through the binoculars. Skies were really clear and it was really worth seeing.

Yes - great photo and great experience.

Was dutifully dragged out to see this in my dressing gown from my nice warm bed. Very good view from the midlands though. Eldest daughter had her telescope outside to see it too. Don't know what the neighbours thought though
Beverley.

It was just great! I didn't watched it all the three hours, but at the highest moment it was something -not possible to describe with words!! The most impressive to me was that of the moon wasn't a "circle" but a real "ball"!!!

It was so purdy!! Had my friend over and we were just a lil bit hyper and we went out every now and again to look at it.

Great photo, David, thanks! Only saw a bit from my bedroom window but couldn't stay awake long enough for the full effect...

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The most impressive to me was that of the moon wasn't a "circle" but a real "ball"!!!
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Yes - that was exquisite - as though you could have plucked it out the sky and rolled it in the palms of your hands. I also loved the return of light giving us the entire phases of the moon cycle in an hour. Pure magic.

Oh Liz poor you. I'm not too far from you... it was a bit misty but no clouds in sight!

You mean it was last night?

So I've missed it?


Nah - just kidding

It was fascinating. Shame the next one's at 3 in the morning....

Great photo, David! I did see the moon last night, but couldn't quite see it in that colour. It was a blurry, greyish colour at the time...

Car Expert

I saw the moon...but it wasn't red...

I thought it started at 8 o' clock, I was sitting in my bedroom for an hour and a half before anything happened. It was worth the wait though.

I stayed up until it turned red, and I was going to go to sleep, but I decided not to! It was fantastic, and I'm really glad that I stayed up to watch it. I was fascinated by it going red, and it was so clear up here (for once!). It was the first time I'd seen a lunar eclipse and I loved it!

It wasn't as red as I'd imagined it was going to be - but our skies are cleaner and less full of pollution up here so maybe that's why!!! It looked a kind of watery red - not as intense as that photograph - great photo, by the way!!
You can understand why it might have struck fear into men's hearts in days gone by as they wouldn't have understood what was happening.........

Meh ... I forgot to watch it

How often does it happen?