anyone else waiting for the eclipse?

[arz]

or am I the only idiot?

[claimbuster]

Idiot #2 here!

[Irving]

I want to, but I should be asleep before then. It's from 12:30 to 1:30 right?

[ChunkyMonkey]

With my slanty eyes..every night is an eclipse.

[Scanker19]

Make that three. If it doesn't come soon I'm going to file a complaint with NASA.

[arz]

With my slanty eyes..every night is an eclipse.
you and me both!



supposed to be 'starting' around now. not much to see as of yet

[theGinsue]

I want to, but I should be asleep before then. It's from 12:30 to 1:30 right?



Just in time for Christmas.
The year's only total lunar eclipse will occur Monday night or early Tuesday depending on where you live.
North and Central America and a tiny sliver of South America will have the best view. Weather permitting, skygazers in those regions should be able to view the entire eclipse.
The moon is normally illuminated by the sun. During a total lunar eclipse, the full moon passes through the shadow created by the Earth blocking the sun's light.
Total eclipse begins at 11:33 p.m. MST Monday. The totality phase -- when the moon is entirely inside Earth's shadow -- will last a little over an hour.

They said on the news (same network) that it would be between 0100 and 0300.

Apparently, this total lunar eclipse is occuring on the Winter Solstice (the longest night of the year) and this hasn't occured since

The last time the two celestial events occurred within the same calendar day was long before any of our lifetimes. The year, according to Geoff Chester, public affairs officer at the U.S. Naval Observatory, was 1638. Although the solstice does not always occur on the same date each year, the date in 1638 was the same as Tuesday's - Dec. 21.

[Irving]

We took some chairs outside to look at it. Kind of crappy sitting in a brightly lit apartment complex parking lot. It was cold so we decided to come in for a bit and go check it out in a while.

[twitchyfinger]

Living out in the country and I'm even crazy enough to photo it [Tooth]

11:50pm
http://img571.imageshack.us/img571/9416/moona.jpg

12:02
http://img805.imageshack.us/img805/9245/moon2.jpg

[Irving]

I wanted to do a time lapse video of the whole thing, but my laptop camera is crappy and there is no way I'd want to leave my laptop outside.

[twitchyfinger]

I wanted to do a time lapse video of the whole thing, but my laptop camera is crappy and there is no way I'd want to leave my laptop outside.

Bet you'll be able to find one online somewhere.

[Irving]

That was the other reason. I thought, "Meh, someone else will probably do a way better job anyway."

[Ridge]

Laying on my back on the deck shooting a Nikon D50 @200mm using a 400 ISO speed

http://i.imgur.com/skcGg.jpg

[Bowtie]

I found this on the NASA webpage.

The luster will be a bit "off" on Dec. 21st, the first day of northern winter, when the full Moon passes almost dead-center through Earth's shadow. For 72 minutes of eerie totality, an amber light will play across the snows of North America, throwing landscapes into an unusual state of ruddy shadow.

The eclipse begins on Tuesday morning, Dec. 21st, at 1:33 am EST (Monday, Dec. 20th, at 10:33 pm PST). At that time, Earth's shadow will appear as a dark-red bite at the edge of the lunar disk. It takes about an hour for the "bite" to expand and swallow the entire Moon. Totality commences at 02:41 am EST (11:41 pm PST) and lasts for 72 minutes.

If you're planning to dash out for only one quick look -­ it is December, after all -­ choose this moment: 03:17 am EST (17 minutes past midnight PST). That's when the Moon will be in deepest shadow, displaying the most fantastic shades of coppery red.

[arz]

great pic, Ridge.


my crappy PhD camera gives me shots that look like they were taken with a pinhole cam.

[Jer]

1:17am MST.... check.

[twitchyfinger]

Laying on my back on the deck shooting a Nikon D50 @200mm using a 400 ISO speed

Sweet that kills my POS camera!

[Irving]

I've been hearing that there will be a reddish hue. All I've seen so far is "cloudy."

[Ridge]

Jesus, look at all those stars out there...

[arz]

get out of Aurora and see them most any night

[relichunter]

I feel lucky that the clouds blew off and the skies are perfectly clear. What a sight!

[Jer]

I'll probably wake up the wife and go outside for about a minute or so (less if the wife has her way) so I'm waiting until 1:17 since that appears to be the ideal time to see it. 24mins left....

[twitchyfinger]

NASA site is jammed with traffic but here is a live feed that works:

http://www.ccssc.org/webcast.html

Also found a good consistent view using Google Earth if you have it.

[arz]

I'll probably wake up the wife and go outside for about a minute or so (less if the wife has her way) so I'm waiting until 1:17 since that appears to be the ideal time to see it. 24mins left....
I just did that. And the two oldest kids.

Now, I'm off to bed. 'night all.

[Elhuero]

I've been sitting outside watching since it started, just came in for a bit to get warm.

[patrick0685]

lucky me is sitting in a "fish bowl" and watching the eclipse and warm[Beer]

[patrick0685]

plus im getting paid [Coffee]

[roberth]

I tried to stay up but I fell asleep. Oh well.

[Byte Stryke]

aDplJ1yu9aA

[Mtn.man]

Woke up in time to see it. Way cool.

I'll only be 134 when it happens again. can't wait...

[jim02]

The boy and I got up at 2:30 am to have a look, he was excited.
Pretty cool.

[StagLefty]

Eclipse ???? [ROFL1]

[funkfool]

Eclipse ???? [ROFL1]
Yeah -
http://www.gunshopfinder.com/Kimber/eclipsepro2.jpg
Love mine...

[StagLefty]

Yeah -
http://www.gunshopfinder.com/Kimber/eclipsepro2.jpg
Love mine...

Now that would be worth staying up for [Coffee]

[Jer]

I had two that I particularly enjoyed....


1990 Mitsubishi Eclipse GSX AWD w/some aftermarket parts:
http://lh4.ggpht.com/_u5gGqJHjM6Q/TRD3rQZ6cbI/AAAAAAAABS4/14vY7mrRk_Q/s640/BandimereLaunch98.jpg

and an Eclipse nav unit in my Supra:
http://lh6.ggpht.com/_u5gGqJHjM6Q/TRD3rZAMyPI/AAAAAAAABS8/0-G-N_Fzy1Q/s640/IMG_0257.JPG


This stuff is pretty good too:
http://blogs.trb.com/features/consumer/shopping/blog/eclipse-gum.jpg







[ROFL2]




But seriously folks... Got my wife (who wasn't real receptive at first) out of bed at 1:17 and went outside just in time to see the last few seconds of the previous phase (some white on one edge) and then the full orange/red/brown glow which was worth going outside for. Cool stuff and even she appreciated it or at least acted like she did.