Science: Solstice Eclipse

One of my goals has been to see a total solar eclipse.  I have observed a partial solar eclipse before, although it's not quite as dramatic.  The light does turn kind of murky and you can see the partial crescent of the sun using a pinhole (or in the flickering of light filtering through leaves), but there's not the dramatic blackening of the sun.

On the other hand, in comparison lunar eclipses are almost like a dime a dozen since the Earth's shadow is so much larger.  You don't get the complete disappearance of the moon, but you do get the arguably more terrifying event of the moon turning blood red (the moon turns red due to the scattering of light around the Earth's atmosphere---think of it as if all of the sunsets and sunrises around the edges of the Earth are focused on the moon).  I can only wonder at how frightening solar and lunar eclipses would have appeared to people thousands of years ago.

In any case, there will be another lunar eclipse coming up.  The eclipse should be viewable across all of North America, starting at 1:33 am EST with totality at 2:41 am EST.  For all the armchair astrologers out there, this lunar eclipse will actually happen on the the winter solstice on December 21.  This is a pretty rare event and the last time this happened was in the year 1638.  I'm sure this has all sorts of wacky portentous omens, but the practical effect is that it's so cold and late outside that I probably won't venture out to see it myself, although this could make for a spectacular image over fresh fallen snow.  Oh well (we don't even have any snow here yet anyway).

For those waiting for a total solar eclipse, you might have to travel around the world.  NASA has a list of total solar eclipse events coming up.  For North America, it looks like 2017 might be the next best bet.  Maybe I should start booking my tickets now...