TOTALED

This evening, we were given a gift of astronomical proportions. We got to see the total lunar eclipse. It would seem that nature was against us at first. The day started out cloudy, then we were taunted with some clearing activity. As the day drew to a close, a veil of thick clouds continued to scuttle along the horizon.

I had a call from my gal Deanna with enquiries into positioning and location. She was takinf a car ful of kids out to experience the thrill of asronomical delights for themselves. I hope you found the moon Deanna! Me in all my wisdom, had informed her that it is usually up there in the sky somewhere!

I went to get my tripod out and lo and hehold, the mounting bracket was not on it. Nor was it in my camera bag! A quick rumage around only further established that the tripod would not be used. I was going to require a steady camera for these shots. That was, if the clouds would even be parting. I think they turned out ok all things considered.
I left the house to pick Heidi up at her work at 6.45. After I got her, we headed over to a dark side road. We would already be missing the first stage of the eclipse out here, as it would already have begun prior to the moon rise. Because of the mountains, we would only catch it already in the earths shadow.

The moon begun to occasionally peek through the clouds, offering a glance of her red face. The dust and particles in the atmosphere, capture some indirect light of the sun and cause a red appearance.

Finally the clouds broke up, the moon, in its scarlet glory(see the fist photo) was out for full apraisal, accompanied by sparkling stars. Once she was high enough in the sky, we scurried home to watch from our door step. As lovely as the show was on that side road... it was awfully dark, and my imagination was conjuring up all sorts of dangers lurking in the brush near by!

We were home for quite a while before the shadow of the earth began to slide away. At first, just a bright white crecent appeared at the edge of the red moon. As the face of the moon was further unvieled, it begab to loose the redness. The clouds, just whisps this time, reached their tentacles out to cloak the moon once more. Not enough to blot her out of sight, but enough to add a pleasant eerieness to the night.

In the later stages of the eclipse, the moon almost appeared to have a bite taken out of it, or even could be said to be wearing a cap.

The mystic event was at an end. There won't be another lunar eclipse here until late 2010.