Category Archives: Moon

The natural satellite of the earth, visible (chiefly at night) by reflected light from the sun.

Eclipse, Moon

Total Lunar Eclipse May 26th

Early risers on Wednesday morning, May 26, 2021 will be treated to a total lunar eclipse hanging low in the western sky.

This lunar eclipse will be better situated for observers in the western half of the U.S but that doesn’t mean you should scratch it off your list just because you are in the eastern half of the county.

The upcoming eclipse is very reminiscent of the total lunar eclipse of January 31, 2018.  Why?  The timing for one. The 1/31/18 TLE started very early in the morning and was setting as twilight was coming on and totality was waning as is this one. Additionally, both eclipses happen around lunar perigee (the point where the Moon is closest to Earth in its orbit). At this time the Moon is slightly larger in the sky. You’ll sometimes hear this referred to as a “super moon,”  a term I don’t like to use.

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Moon, Occultation, Planets

Planetary Alignment & Mars Occultation

Planetary Alignment

Tomorrow morning (Monday, February 17, 2020) be on the look out for a nice planetary alignment. If you are up early tomorrow morning and have a good view of the southeastern sky be sure to check out Saturn, Jupiter, Mars and the Moon as they line up in that order.

President’s Day Planetary Alignment

Additionally, for those in the DFW area the International Space Station will be making a fairly bright pass (-0.6 mag) right through this line up! In fact, the space station should pass between Saturn and Jupiter around 6:37 a.m. See the screen shot above that I made from Stellarium for more information regarding the alignment and passing of the ISS through them on Monday, February 17th 2020.

Mars Occulation

There’s more! The next morning Tuesday, Feb. 18th the Moon will occult or pass in front of the planet Mars. Complete details of the timing of this event from numerous locations in the U.S. can be found on the International Occultation Timing Association’s (IOTA) web page.
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Eclipse, Moon

Total Lunar Eclipse Images

Here are images I shot of this morning’s total lunar eclipse using a Nikon D60 with a Nikkor 50-200mm lens. These images were shot at Richard Simpson Park on Lake Arlington in Arlington, TX.

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Moon, Spacecraft

Christmas Eve 1968

Earthrise

 Almost 50 years ago the famous Apollo 8 mission to the Moon was well underway.  It was Christmas Eve 1968 and the spacecraft had just entered lunar orbit that same day. That evening, astronauts Commander Frank Borman, Command Module Pilot Jim Lovell, and Lunar Module Pilot William Anders held a live broadcast from lunar orbit, in which they showed pictures of the Earth and moon as seen from their spacecraft. Said Lovell, “The vast loneliness is awe-inspiring and it makes you realize just what you have back there on Earth.” They ended the broadcast with the crew taking turns reading from the book of Genesis. You can relive that historic moment by clicking the video below. Merry Christmas!

Eclipse, Moon

Total Lunar Eclipse January 31, 2018

Total Lunar Eclipse 02/20/2008

A  total lunar eclipse will be visible (weather permitting) from the North Texas area early on the morning of Wednesday, January 31, 2018.  Here are the eclipse event times (CST) specific to the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

 

4:51 a.m. Penumbral Eclipse begins

5:48 a.m. Partial eclipse begins with Umbra making contact

6:51 a.m. Total eclipse begins

7:20 a.m. Maximal Eclipse for DFW area

7:24 a.m. The Moon sets for DFW area

7:26 a.m. Full Moon occurs for DFW (occurs below horizon for DFW)

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Eclipse, Moon, Travel

Total Solar Eclipse From Hopkinsville, KY

What a great adventure to Tennessee and Kentucky to see the Great American Total Solar Eclipse. I viewed the celestial show from Hopkinsville, KY with several coworkers who also made the long drive.

TSE 08212017 – The moment before totality

The “solar funnel” (solar projection cone) seen below that I had made a few months back in preparation for this eclipse was a huge hit with eclipse chasers! I received many compliments and plenty of return visitors to check the progress of the partial phase.

 You can view the HD video I shot before, during and after totality below. Totality begins at about 10 minutes into the video.

You can find many more of my eclipse pictures as well as pictures of the telescopes and fellow eclipse chasers on my Total Solar Eclipse – 8/21/2017 page that I’ve added to this site. Click the link just above or navigate to Astrophotoghaphy > Eclipses > Total Solar Eclipse – 08/21/2017 on the menu in the upper left on this page.

Eclipse, Moon, Observing

Great American Total Solar Eclipse

We are now in the home stretch for what is being called the Great American Total Solar Eclipse. Not in 99 years has a total solar eclipse made its way across the continental U.S. and surely it will be one of the most observed total solar eclipses in history.

Total Solar Eclipse – February 26, 1998

The last total solar eclipse that I was present for was on February 26, 1998. Nineteen years ago my wife and I took a 7 day cruise and saw the eclipse on board the ship off the coast of Aruba in the Caribbean. Seeing the eclipse at sea was a very special treat indeed. With a flat horizon for 360 degrees it’s easier to see the moon’s shadow build on the horizon, speed toward you at almost frightening speed, over take you and speed away. I vividly recall the emotional response it generated in me and all who were there to see it. No pictures or movies can accurately reproduce this type of event. It simply must be experienced. I learned first hand that day why and how some many people become eclipse chasers. Sounds odd to those who don’t give a second thought about astronomical events but rest assured the experience drives people to see it over and over again. Kind of like a roller coaster junkie or sky diver who lives for the thrill and once seen longs for the next high from his or her obsession.

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Eclipse, Moon

Total Lunar Eclipse Sunday! Are you ready?

Check out the NASA’s JPL “What’s up for September?” video above for a good run down of what you can expect to see Sunday evening.

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Eclipse, Moon

Total Lunar Eclipse on September 27th

Get ready sky sleuths for an amazing lunar spectacle! A total lunar eclipse is coming up (weather permitting) after dark on Sunday, September 27th when the moon will turn an awesome reddish-orange as it enters the Earth’s umbra. The eclipse will be visible from most of North and South America.

Total Lunar Eclipse
Total Lunar Eclipse

Total lunar eclipses always happen at full moon. This is when the Moon is opposite in the sky as the Sun or put another way when the Earth is between the Sun and Moon. This situation allows for the Earth’s shadow to consume the Moon, and we see an eclipse.

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Eclipse, Moon

Total Lunar Eclipse Visible Oct. 8th

Total Lunar Eclipse 02/20/2008
Total Lunar Eclipse 02/20/2008

Early on the morning of Wednesday, October 8, 2014 there will be a total lunar eclipse visible for all of the United States. Totality begins at 5:25 a.m. CDT locally here in the DFW area. The moon will be seen (weather permitting)  low in the sky on the western horizon. Seek out a good observing location where you will have an unobstructed view of the horizon.  The Moon will be an awesome sight even from the most light polluted cities. Observers on the West Coast are better positioned for this eclipse as the moon will be higher in the sky as totality slowly plays out between 3:25 a.m. and 4:24 a.m. PDT.

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