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Luis Acosta / AFP - Getty Images
This combination of pictures shows the moon in various stages of a total lunar eclipse as seen from Mexico City on Dec. 21. This eclipse takes place just hours before the December solstice, which marks the beginning of northern winter and southern summer.
Jose Cabezas / AFP - Getty Images
A double expousure picture shows the moon and the monument of The Savior of The World during a total lunar eclipse as seen from San Salvador, El Salvador on Dec. 21.
Kim Shiflett / NASA
Space shuttle Discovery waits to roll back from Launch Pad 39A to the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida in the early morning hours of Dec 21, with the beginning of the total lunar eclipse clearly in view.
Once inside the VAB, Discovery's external fuel tank will be examined and foam reapplied where 89 sensors were installed on the tank's aluminum skin for an instrumented tanking test on Dec. 17. The sensors were used to measure changes in the tank as super-cold propellants were pumped in and drained out. Data and analysis from the test will be used to determine what caused the tops of two, 21-foot-long support beams, called stringers, on the outside of the intertank to crack during fueling on Nov. 5. Discovery's next launch opportunity is no earlier than Feb. 3, 2011.
Patrick Pleul / AFP - Getty Images
This combo of photos shows, left, the full moon behind clouds and, right, the earth's shadow casting over the moon a few minutes later during a lunar eclipse on early Dec. 21, seen from the northeastern German town of Petersdorf.
Seth Wenig / AP
The moon on its way to being totally eclipsed is seen with the Chrysler Building in the foreground in New York, Tuesday, Dec. 21. A total lunar eclipse occurs when the Earth casts its shadow on the full moon, blocking the sun's rays that otherwise reflect off the moon's surface.
Don Emmert / AFP - Getty Images
A halo or icebow appears around the moon in the sky above a home in the Bronx borough of New York City Dec. 20. The phenomenon is caused by the refraction of the light of the moon by ice crystals in the air.
Juan Carlos Ulate / Reuters
The moon is seen over a Christmas tree during a total lunar eclipse as seen from San Jose, Dec. 21.
Bill Ingalls / Nasa / Handout / EPA
The Washington Monument as the full moon is shadowed by the Earth during a total lunar eclipse on the arrival of the winter solstice, Dec. 21 in Washington D.C. From beginning to end, the eclipse lasted about three hours and twenty-eight minutes.
Desiree Martin / AFP - Getty Images
The volcano Teide is pictured on Dec. 21 during a total lunar eclipse, in the National Park of Teide on the Spanish Canary Island of Tenerife.
Doug Murray / Reuters
The Moon is engulfed in the Earth's shadow as it nears the peak of a rare winter solstice total lunar eclipse as viewed through a telescope from Palm Beach Gardens Dec. 21.
Did you watch the total lunar eclipse? For more incredible space images view our Year in Space slideshow.
Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson walks you through the stunning beauty of the first lunar eclipse to land on the winter solstice since 1638.
Leave a Comment:
It was TOTALLY AWESOME!!
The moon put on a superb show last night/this morning.
Sadly, I missed it. It was snowing here in Colorado.
Not in Arvada, Colorado.
Hey Realist 502574: Nice post. Sorry I missed it myself. Cloud cover in my neck of the woods in NY at 12:30AM drove me to bed. Don't mind the haters who can only think of negative things to say. Enjoy the wonders of creation to your heart's content. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Enjoy your beauty. Peace.
Agreed Realist!
xxs = extra, extra stupid!
My family is glad that its over. I was going insane last night cause the clouds kept me from seeing it, and people being on the computer kept me from watching it online. Grrrr, I hate the weather sometimes
Say I'm crazy, but I could feel the harmony from the planetary alignment. I felt very peaceful watching it and still do.
Okay... you're crazy.
I want some of what you are smoking........
Music of the spheres. Galileo (the last guy who watched this full moon+full eclipse+winter solstice invented a new way of thinking!) said that the planets each had their own note (he didn't know about poor demoted Pluto) and there were times when you could hear the music of the spheres. Me, I was shivering too much to hear them, but one day perhaps.
It was beautiful. The weather here was oddly not as cold as has been and it was only partly cloudy but didn't obstruct my view at all. So glad I was able to see it and get pics.
I'd recommend Holst.
FSS...
Sorry, but Galileo never said any such thing. He certainly didn't invent the concept... it can be traced at least back to Pythagoras and to some extent, ancient Hebrew mythology. Galileo knew nothing about Uranus or Neptune either, because they weren't discovered until 1781 and 1846, respectively.
It was Johannes Kepler who tried to harmonize a celestial mechanics that would incorporate the mathematics of the intervals in musical notation, Pythagorian geometry, planetary size to orbital size and duration ratios and the distances between the trinitarian aspects of god. He heard the music all right, and it made him slightly lunatic. He borrowed a great deal from Copernicus.
Galileo's father was a musician and mathemetician who was involved in a lifelong argument about which is the best method of musical notation. Pythagoras' system of musical intervals was improved during the Renaissance into several competing systems, each with it's own fervent defenders.
Galileo himself was (later) involved in developing formulas for the diameter/weight/length ratios for the manufacture of strings for various musical instruments with the aim of being able to precisely intone all the intervals in the new notation systems.
The math has yet to worked out perfectly and people still argue the aesthetics. The Music Of The Spheres was a common theme in mythology and Renaissance proto-planetary science, but other than using Pythagorian geometry Galileo had little to do with it.
You are not crasy,it was really wonderful.....
Hey Realist 502574: Nice post. Sorry I missed it myself. Cloud cover in my neck of the woods in NY at 12:30AM drove me to bed. Don't mind the haters who can only think of negative things to say. Enjoy the wonders of creation to your heart's content. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Enjoy your beauty. Peace.
Very Cool
I snuck out around 2 am and spotted it..the moon looked crescent with the light to the right hand side..like the picture from New York. When I left for work at 4 the moon was fully orange and as I drove in (commute from Baltimore to DC) I could see the orange fading down as the gray/white normal coloration emerged again. The moon was very high in the sky last night.
I felt one with the universe! Total peace.
T'will be the last one I will ever see. Glad I did.
Maybe only through the eyes that you possess now?
So, you're going blind or dying before 2014? If you must, there is going to be another on December 10th on the west coast. They really aren't that rare. Just the one last night because it was visible from so many continents.
It was rare because it was on the winter solstice. Not claiming my facts are accurate, but the local radio said that hasn't happened since the 14th century.
The last Full Moon Total Lunar Eclipse on the Solstice was in 1638.
If you can make it to 2094 there will be another one :). Until then you will have to deal with those plain old regular lunar eclipses.
Mr. Blue...with our luck, we'll have another blasted storm during the next one. Five days and no sign of sky.
These photos are really impressive. At least I can see these. Thanks to the talented phrogs.
Where's the weenie on this story? People like to read about disasters, blood and gore. You know......like how many human sacrifices that were done by native peoples because this event was taken as some sort of bad omen or something.
Im just amazed no one blamed the eclipse on Obama or Bush, then again it is early!
My kids and I tried to stay awake for it, but the clouds did not cooperate, and the little ones passed out. We couldn't see much, at least we have a strong internet connection
RangerOne..... Ain't it the truth.
Sorry the little ones didn't get to see it. I myself didn't bother trying to view it. I've seen these before. They're neat. They happen ever so often on different locations on our planet. Just gotta' be in the right place at the right time.
Saw the end of it at 4 am when I woke up..
I forgot about the eclipse and slept right through it; however I've seen others. It was rare, in that the eclipse occured at the same tome as the Winter solstice. I did see the photo's, and they were magnificent. Better luck next time!
Next Time??? Trust me, we'll both be taking a dirt nap (year 2094) by then!
It's OK. In 2094, I'll look "down" and watch it. ;-)
My daughters had their cousins for a sleepover to watch the eclipse. We surfed the web and learned about the lunar eclipse and the solstice. They played board games, watched movies and ate cookies then went to bed early in anticipation of the eclipse. We woke up excitedly and checked the skies but it was very cloudy so I told the kids to go back to sleep. I stayed up a bit longer to see if it would clear up, but old sol couldn't peek out of the thick blanket of clouds. It is now 7 am and the kids are still asleep. They didn't get to see the eclipse, but had a wonderful holiday sleepover with their cousins that they won't soon forget.... and all got a good night sleep.
duplicate
Mr Blue.... See when the next one occurs on the winter solstice... I think you will find that none of us will see it! I believe that is what they were talking about...
really beatiful!
I could not see a freaking thing from the city of Austin.....too many dang blasted clouds....I was camera ready and all..... (Whew! feel better not that I got that out) :)
ran into the same problem in the mid-south..too much cloud cover:(
Me too - didn't even bother trying since it was snowing yet again here in the upper midwest. Sunofa....
We didn't have a chance here either, instead we got a foot of snow in Utah. I was a little disappointed.
In Austin too...but headed an hour west past dripping springs and found small gatherings on the side of the road heads tilted upward. Truly amazing.
Human minds naturally look for patterns to give them a understanding of how things work, so that they have the comfort of knowing what to expect.
This eclipse was no rarer than any other. ALL eclipses fall on certain days of the year and won't fall on that day again for long periods of time. It was just December 21st' time, that's all. These events are all relevant to where one is on the planet on a given day. The same goes for total eclipses of the Sun. The really rare things are the comets that pass by our Earth and are visible to the naked eye. Those things not everyone lives to see in their life span.
Bah Humbug.
i agree .... it was hyped by the media. it very cool ... but no different than any other eclipse other than landing on the 21st of dec.
Duh, it was rare because it was on the winter solstice.. if you had done your research, you'd see that it was very special since the last one on the winter soltice was 372 years ago..
And you totally missed the point of his post. The fact that it happened on the winter solstice (December 21st) is no more rare than if it had happened on December 20th or 22nd, and really no more meaningful.
Me, I'm waiting for the lunar eclipse to happen on my birthday. That is way cooler than the winter solstice.
It was special to people who love science and actually understand what the winter solstice means. It is very meaningful to see something in your life time that will not happen again. Everyone tries to down grade and make fun of things they don't understand, but at the end of the day it was a special time for everyone due to when and where it happened.
Well in some culture beliefs the Solstice is important historically, like say the Druid. It was a time of waiting and hope for the gods to be merciful and bring back the sun to breath life into the earth (though it depends on which gods were worshipped). Either way please continue to spoil it for others who ENJOYED IT. Personally I didn't get a chance to see it due to snow in the Northern Plains in North Dakota. I have seen Lunar Eclipses before apparently (Didn't know that was when the moon turned orange.. Never bothered to ask.), but either way it's cool. :)
really beautiful!!!
Dang it! Stupid cloud cover!
Got up at 3:00 AM, with my 8 year-old daughter. It was quite a site. Got one good photo out of the digital camera, a total accident; but, looked awesome. Rare event because of the date -- winter solstice. Glad to have gotten up; and, shared a memory with my daughter!
Hey did you hear the latest? The Auburn University Boosters paid off NASA to make the Moon appear the color of Auburn University Orange during the eclipse last night. Although some say it appeared more of a Gator Orange. Officials are pressing for an FBI investigation into the matter. They Suspect Cam Newton and his father are somehow involved.
The orange color proves that the moon is made of cheese.
that is hilarious!!! i was thinking the same thing last night i kept saying" the big cheese isnt covered yet, im taking my butt in the house lol"
If the moon were made out of cheese would ya eat it? I know I would!
I'd wash it down with an ice cold Budweiser!! :)
I woke up naked in a field my teeth were covered in blood and I noticed several paw prints around me.
Those weren't paw prints, it was a tranny in a bear suit, now where did you stash the body...and why is the wood chipper in the back of the truck?
Man, if I had a dollar for every time that happened to me..............
You feel peaceful? probably still asleep....no planets aligned, no harmony.....only drug hazed fruitcakes! It was an interesting show however.
THESE PICS ARE GREAT! Just prior to the "event" here in Virginia the moon was its brightest and highest in the sky, that was enough for me :) However, it was way too cold and i had to work. I knew MSNBC would come through with great pics though. Great delivery :)
I got myself out of bed at 3:30 in homage to my Dad who wokes us up and wrapped us in snow suits to see a red light called Sputnick.
My dad got us out of bed in the middle of the night and up to the roof to see Sputnik--I'll never forget it. Last night--total cloud cover up here in Northern New York. Happy Holidays Everyone.
hay wtf u all at msn seed that the eclips wos the 22 and 23 soo??? why the@!$%# did you lie bitches now i missed it cuz of u sooo im @!$%#in pissed and dont put fals info cuz im pissed now.....
Wasn't that a wonderful time. Quiet .. just looking for the new advancement. Dad woke us up too, but Mom said no way was standing in a field in the middle of the night. 72 years old now, and so glad I stayed up.
couldnt see jack for the damn clouds. doest this happen again next week?
Haha not on the Solstice for another hundreds of years XD