Total Lunar Eclipse Tonight February 20, 2008
by Kayla Iacovino , Filed under: Science/Technology , trackback
Kayla the TrekMovie.com science girl here with a special mid-week science mini-update. This evening, February 20th, the full Moon over Europe and the Americas will turn a delightful shade of red. It’s a total lunar eclipse — the last one until Dec. 2010. And, while the red is spectacular, it isn’t the only color to look for when the Moon glides through Earth’s shadow.
In addition to the red, observers of several lunar eclipses have reported a flash of turquoise. The source of the turquoise is the Earth’s ozone layer. Ozone absorbs the red sunlight while allowing the blue rays to pass through. This has the effect of turning the Earth’s shadow turquoise-blue around the edges. Look for it during the first and last minutes of totality (10:01 pm EST and 10:51 pm EST).
When should you look to the sky? Check out SpaceWeather.com’s animated timetable.
Tonight the grey moon gets some color
Moon over Trek
Even though The Moon was the first ‘giant leap’ for mankind in space, Star Trek really never did much with it. The Earth’s sole satellite (aka Luna) did get referred to every once in a while (Tycho City, New Berlin, Lake Armstrong, etc) and the USS Defiant was made at Tranquility Base. However it wasn’t until the 3rd from last Star Trek TV episode (Enterprise’s Demons) that we finally got to see Trek’s moon. I guess the moon became ‘yesterday’s news.’
Orpheus Mining Colony from “Demons”
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Comments»
i cant wait!!!!
Rats. It’s raining here all week, so we in So. Calif, will miss it.
Uh, I have no problem with the people who say first–as long as they say something else more intelligent besides.
Ahem.
Cool
Rain? Bollox.
Cool! But I think it’s going to be too cloudy here in ATL as well.
Thanks, Kayla!
Peace. Live long and prosper
The Vulcanista }:-|
We haven’t seen this portrayed on TOS before, so it’s not canon…
SORRY, BUT I HAD TO SAY IT before someone else did!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :)
Forgive me, Anthony!!!!!!!
My stupid university installed a bunch of new lights on campus recently, so it probably won’t be as spectacular out here…but still, v. cool…can’t wait.
Why must they do this? Protecting students from shootings/muggings vs. allowing us a good view of cool astronomical phenomena…WHERE are their priorities?
Clouds in Atlanta. Bummer. Did mean a trip to the Science Center today, though. Woo-hoo, I’m such a child.
Oh, and found out the Dec. 21, 2012 thingie — complete moo-moo poo-poo. There’s no planetary line-up. So tell the Mayans you know they’re full of stardust.
hope to see it here in NY.
ps. has anyone ever declared ‘last!’?
Sunny in Cleveland! Neat!
And…..9th!! (or 12th…)
#6 I was right there with you. Neither is the Orange Moon. The eclipse MUST be cancelled…. Or at least postponed until May 2009
Kayla,
Thanks very much for the heads-up. Rain, Snow and Sleet here in Kentucky tonight so it should be a “No-Go” for the Eclipse.
I’ve seen a few beforehand with some good friends which makes the event that much more special. “Enjoy!” to anyone with a clear view tonight. Make the most of it.
Here’s a guide to the eclipse - including a NASA link.
Spock could never see this on Vulcan as Vulcan has no moon>
You know it has been clear skies here for the last several days, so of course it will be cloudy during the eclipse:(
Re: #9. RM10019
No, I think only Anthony can actually do that as he’s the one that decides when to close comments so he’s the only one who can know definitively.
kg
RE: 14 Vulcan technically has no moon but is part of a double planet system with T’rukh (i think that’s the correct spelling) also known as the Watcher. This happens to be canon as it is seen in Star Trek: TMP. wow i’m such a nerd
#17…. BUT, in the revised Director’s Edition, this has been corrected, and there is no moon! Canon has been altered! What do we do now? Which is right? (Goes into recursive infinite logic loop)
Thanks for the hint, I just set my alarm clock.
4 in the morning … nice.
red moon at night be sailor’s delight…. arrrr
Methinks most TOS worlds were red anyway so no biggie for the natives thar to see a red moon… Unless Vaal say it be worth watchin’…
Since when does Vulcan have no moon? How do they see at night? Maybe that’s why they only mate once in seven years… awwk!
It seemed quite bright at night on the wee planet Vulcan during some o’ them Enterprise episodes…
The stars at night, they sure shine bright,
deep in the heart of Vulcan,
The Sehlats cry up to the sky,
deep in the heart of Vulcan.
The pon far’s rare in the heated air,
deep in the heart of Vulcan,
So, I’d rather mix at a Motel Six,
and stay the heck off Vulcan.
It’s really aliens using the moon’s gravity to obscure their warp signature.
I can’t believe I stooped to a level of nerdery to say that.
Maybe the the red moon is where the spirits of all the red shirts go when they get blown to dust!
Red Moon AKA AIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!
#17 — Actually it’s T’Khut (also sometimes spelled T’Kuht). I know this because that is my Vulcan name.
I’ll be out (with soon -to- be Astronomer- son) tonight about 8…
Freezing our@#$%^&* off watching some of this…. dam sub-zero temps!
17 Paul. I go by the original trek series, and so the planet Vulcan does not have any moons, as it is quoted by Spock when Uhura asked about moon’s on Vulcan. Hell I can’t remember now what she actually said or what episode it was from.
NOT CANON!!!!!!!!!!!!
the current RGB values of the moons hue are NOT what Gene had originally intended for the year 2008. Sorry
Unbelievable, You people will talk about anything…………
slow news day eh?? and seriously who cares whether a made up planet has a moon or not?? seriously??
#28 and #29
So what are you doing here? You see, this here section is called the “comments”. That means people come here to “comment”. Much like you two are doing. The above article has to do with a thing called the “moon”. It is in “space”. Some of us don’t find it a stretch that this is a subject that relates to a show called “Star Trek”. Whether the planet Vulcan has a moon or not is one of those things that Star Trek fans will sometimes discuss on a “comments” section of a Star Trek “website”.
Hope that clears up some of the confusion for you two.
The Vulcan name is T’khut but the Federation standard name for Vulcan’s sister planet is either Charon or Charis. Altho this isn’t really canon.
#6 Diabolik…
I hate to say it, but yeah, that would be my opinion. Especially since it was only featured on the Show-That-Will-Not-Be-Named, which was originally conceived as a non-canon show to begin with, anyway.
T’Khut went “T’Poof” since the Director’s Cut of TMP which sret right the erroneous effects shot. It is no more.
Wow, I just checked out the moon. It looks like Jesus got hungry and took a big bite out of it.
I’m so happy…the skis have cleared in time to see the eclipse. I just don’t get why my 3 year old son is upset I woke him to see the moon;)
A few months back we had a really cool lunar eclipse in the southern hemisphere. I Hope those of you up-north enjoy this one.
Didn’t the Enterprise-D fly over the moon on its way back to Earth in the TNG first season episode “Conspiracy” ?
>>slow news day eh?? and seriously who cares whether a made up planet has a moon or not?? seriously??
>>
Look pal… Earth is a REAL planet. Admiral Adama and Madame President wouldn’t lie to us!! I know for a fact that this fleet is headed there, and we’re going to hook up with that lost 13th tribe! So just get off your frakhorse and fly right. Lots of planets have moons, you know, so if Earth does when we get there, I’ll be sure and drop you off on it. What are you, one of Baltar’s supporters or something?
By the Lords of Kobol… some people!
i thought i saw saturn
I just came back inside after watching it go total (umbra). Beautiful. Such a clear night here north of Toronto, but frackin’ FREEZING out there! My son thought it was “cool”, but I think my wife was frozen solid. I dragged them out to a field in the middle of winter. LOL
Atlanta got a great show! It’s 10:42 — almost done. It was like it was on fire — an ember smoldering red and brown in the sky. Totally cool. God does such great FX. Paramount should really hire Him.
Re: #21. CmdrR
Excellent — but where were the (clap-clap-clap-clap)s?
Toronto got a great show as well. It’s crystal clear but freezing. I should have dres-s-s-s-sed bet-tt-t-t-t-er. Brrr. #41 CmdrR had a good description. God is the grand Creator of F/X!! Woohoo!
Hey Harry — you’ve got some rhymin’ competition. See #21.
kg
Re: #28. Lunacity
“Unbelievable, You people will talk about anything…………”
Keeps us young. (Nice name for the occasion — Luna City. Moon City.)
Dang. Where’s Harry when I need him???
kg
Peace, ya’all….
It was amazing! So happy I saw it. Looking forward to the next one (for North America) in 2010
Vinceman
Cloudy in North Texas, of course. {
Oh well, 2 years until the next one!
Vulcan has no moon. Vulcan needs no moon.
>;>}
#21.–HYSTERICAL!!!!
BTW, there was a break in the clouds and I got to see the moon at nearly full eclipse. Woo-HOO!
I had a perfect view of the eclipse here in Western Washington. It was a nice, clear night (altho up in Seattle the Seattle Astrological Society was dealing with clouds…doh!) and rather quiet as I just relaxed and sat on my back porch to watch it. Course the silence was broken by a news copter flying by at the exact moment of totality *lol* But other then that it was a rather relaxing 30 min….and it was the perfect temp too….wasn’t freezing cold at all. :D
It was a beautiful sight in Indianapolis. Finally, an astronomical event that didn’t get blown by overcast skies. Not to sound all hippie, but as I sat alone on my front porch freezing my butt off, I felt a community with y’all who were out there looking up from your various vantage points, at the same glorious spectacle.
*wipes tear*
sorry to get all emotional on ya. If Vulcan DID have a moon, they’d have a tougher time with the non-emotion thing.
- Well…it was shiny and pretty amazing in Craiova - ROMANIA too..
Cloudy but clear before and after totality, completely clouded over during totality.
KKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK
HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN
NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It was a clear night and my wife and I saw the moon move deep into totality. Wow. And Saturn was right next to the moon-saw that through my telescope; at 100x the rings were visible. Great night skywise overall, but it was so darn cold, we wished we were wearing EVA suits!!!!