Darkest night in almost 500 years!

Tonight (Dec 20-21) is going to be the darkest and longest night since the year 1378! We are having a lunar eclipse at the same time as the winter solstice. The eclipse starts in about 4 hours (about 11:40 pm PST) and it will last for about an hour. The wind has blown away most of the clouds so we are going to be able to see it here!

Here's a link from astronomer husband. A good night to light a fire in the fireplace and snuggle those kitties close!

I just saw this on the news! How cool, but past my bed time ......

I'm awake, but I think it's too cloudy here to see the eclipse. I'm slightly bitter about this. (I live in an urban area, so I'm used to missing meteor showers and the like, but I can usually see the freaking moon! Aaaargh.)

Top of the link has options to watch live webcasts if it's cloudy where you are. Still some time to go, though!

Thanks! I doubt I will stay up for the total eclipse, but I'll be awake for the partial. I hope you enjoy the show!

That's so cool! It's just before 7 a.m. CET and pitch black. We can't see anything, though.

It's fairly clear here, some light cloud just blew over, but we're hoping it will go away again soon. The camera and binoculars are out

It's in a little bit here.. going to look in a bit.

You forgot to add that it's also a full moon with a lunar eclipse on the solstice. Concerning that fireplace thing......isn't it a custom to light a fire outside and dance around it on the solstice?

I'm up and watching it from here. The moon is at a crescent right now. I hear it's supposed to turn red in a little bit.

(good thing I don't have to work tomorrow)

I took some photos

http://picasaweb.google.com/10304573...arEclipse2010#

We set the alarm for early this morning, but we were clouded over and didn't see anything.

I like your pictures, sarahp. Good job!

I watched the whole transformation to the Lunar Eclipse.. and it was beautiful! I froze my butt off but it was worth it. I even saw a few stars.

Originally Posted by Momofmany

...Concerning that fireplace thing......isn't it a custom to light a fire outside and dance around it on the solstice?

...I hear it's supposed to turn red in a little bit....

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Yeah, fire outside would be nice (and warmer!) but those darn city ordinances, you know. The red on the moon was from the sunsets and sunrises around the earth, so cool!

Originally Posted by sarahp

I took some photos

...

Click to expand...

Sarah, those are incredible pictures! We all appreciate seeing them, it clouded over here and we could not see the eclipse, just a glimpse here and there. Thanks for sharing your excellent pics!

Those pictures are fantastic! We didn't get a full eclipse - I think just North America did - and the only place in Germany that wasn't overcast was up north.

I heard about this on the news, I wanted to see it, I planned on seeing it, but last night was so hetic, that I completely forgot until I saw your post

Those are fantastic pictures, my dh watched it while he was at work but I missed it, was too cloudy and I was getting the kids ready for school. x

I got up in the middle of the night and checked it out. It was almost to totality, and dark red. So cool!

Sarahp, thank you so much for the pics! It was so cloudy here last night that I couldn't see a thing. Guess I'll have to wait until a full moon with a total eclipse falls on the Winter Solstice again, huh?

Nice photos, Sarah, thanks for sharing!

It was raining here so we didn't get to see it. Only the wet, gloomy darkness...

Nothing down here of course but we did get a blackout last night

Jackz, Jazzy & Ginga.