Lunar Eclipse Coincides with Winter Solstice

[bush_cheney2004]

Calling all pagans to a rare and sacred event, almost as dramatic as a transit of Venus. The coming winter solstice will be joined by a coincident (but totally unrelated) lunar eclipse. The eclipse will be visible in North and South America just after midnight Eastern time.

I want to join all pagans in our celebration of all that is natural and untainted by mankinds false gods and prophets! Now where did I put my black robe?

http://www.montrealgazette.com/life/Solstice+eclipse+first+years/3983582/story.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/December_2010_lunar_eclipse

Edited December 18, 2010 by bush_cheney2004

[DogOnPorch]

Already bought the popcorn.

[bush_cheney2004]

Already bought the popcorn.

OK, but from the Gazette story, I am hoping for more than just popcorn!

....For the ancient Romans, it was also a time of great feasting and debauchery.

[DogOnPorch]

OK, but from the Gazette story, I am hoping for more than just popcorn!

....For the ancient Romans, it was also a time of great feasting and debauchery.

-22C here today. I'll be lucky not to freeze my nards off.

[bush_cheney2004]

-22C here today. I'll be lucky not to freeze my nards off.

Oh...sorry...it's a balmy +10C in my neck of the woods. The naked dancing ritual is still scheduled as usual.

About 18 years ago, I destroyed a Sony Hi8 CCD camera by videotaping an eclipse in this kind of weather; seems that the temperature caused a coefficient of expansion tug-o-war for all the surface mount solder joints.

[Sir Bandelot]

Calling all pagans to a rare and sacred event, almost as dramatic as a transit of Venus. The coming winter solstice will be joined by a coincident (but totally unrelated) lunar eclipse.

Totally unrelated, yup. The last time there was one here was in 2008. I intend to stay up for this one and try and get some pictures. I believe totality occurs at 3 or 4 am. Unfortunately skies are not looking too hopeful at the moment.

[DogOnPorch]

Oh...sorry...it's a balmy +10C in my neck of the woods. The naked dancing ritual is still scheduled as usual.

About 18 years ago, I destroyed a Sony Hi8 CCD camera by videotaping an eclipse in this kind of weather; seems that the temperature caused a coefficient of expansion tug-o-war for all the surface mount solder joints.

It went from +3C to -25C (or so) in under 24 hours. Plays hell on ANYTHING with moving parts...like one's car/truck. Once when it was below -40C, I took out my windshield simply by putting a 60w trouble light on the dash. $$$$

Either way...cold temps make for good viewing...providing your scope doesn't break as it cools off.

[Jack Weber]

Happy Saturnalia to all the stump worshippers...

The Sky God rules!!!!

Edited December 18, 2010 by Jack Weber

[bush_cheney2004]

It went from +3C to -25C (or so) in under 24 hours. Plays hell on ANYTHING with moving parts...like one's car/truck. Once when it was below -40C, I took out my windshield simply by putting a 60w trouble light on the dash.

I notice it in brake system hydraulics at about -30C....unless they have synthetic fluids. A cable actuated brake drum shoe is more effective at these cold temps.

Either way...cold temps make for good viewing...providing your scope doesn't break as it cools off.

True...thermal shock can damage a good fluorite refractor; I keep all my scopes at ambient temperature in their cases for a gradual ride up or down.

[Sir Bandelot]

Doesn't look hopeful for me here tomorrow night. It's been cloudy for a week. Outlook for tomorrow night is partly coudy.

But I'll take it over constant, stationary blizzards

[eyeball]

Sounds downright hopeless on the west coast for a sighting. There's 6 days of rain ahead with 30 - 35 mm forecast for Tuesday.

Thhhpppbbbtttt.

[August1991]

Calling all pagans to a rare and sacred event, almost as dramatic as a transit of Venus. The coming winter solstice will be joined by a coincident (but totally unrelated) lunar eclipse.

BC, you make it seem as if this is a rare event. It's not. What's more strange is the explanation of why eclipses are common, and why we have solstices. IOW, inadvertently, you raise two fascinating questions about our solar system. 1) Why are eclipses/transits so common? 2) Why do we have solstices? (That is, why do have summer and winter?)

----

1) Eclipses (and transits) are common because our solar system, including our moon and most moons of other planets, would fit inside a 25 cent coin. That is, the planets and moons are all on the same plane. In effect, our solar system exists in only two dimensions. Why? (Most representations of an atom show foolishly electrons flying around a nucleus in off-angle orbits - Random link.) Electrons don't "fly" around a nucleus but the logo raises the question why planets and moons are all on the same narrow plane. (Another random link.)

I still wonder why this is so. The universe expands in 3 dimensions but galaxies and solar systems spread out in 2 dimensions.

2) But then. Our earth turns at an angle to the 25 cent coin of the solar system! Hence, we have a solstice. Our moon revolves around the earth in the same plane as the rest of the solar system but our Earth turns at an oblique angle to it. To my mind, that's amazing. (Uranus' rotation is more intuitive. The equivalent on Earth would be perpetual fall/spring in places like southern Canada.)

---

Last little point if you're still awake and care for this amateur science lecture about the wonders of the universe. Our solar system turns on a narrow plane, our galaxy (the Milky Way) turns on a narrow plane, but the planes are at different angles.

We are sitting on baubles spinning in one direction, inside cartwheels spinning on another angle, inside cartwheels turning on still another angle. All inside an expanding cake.

If you now say that God does not exist, then you are the greater fool.

Edited December 20, 2010 by August1991

[bush_cheney2004]

BC, you make it seem as if this is a rare event. It's not. What's more strange is the explanation of why eclipses are common, and why we have solstices....

The point of this thread was the coincidence of the common events, which has not occurred for over 450 years....that's rare in my local casino. Such physical phenomena are important to pagans like me because they provide straightforward explanations for celestial relationships if interpreted correctly, without any need for a Holy Trinity or imprisoned Galileo.

The transits of Venus in 2004/2012 (always in June pairs) garner even more attention because it is naked eye proof of exactly what the hell is going on "up there" regardless of what any holy man said.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mTqT5pk9vTM&feature=related

Edited December 20, 2010 by bush_cheney2004

[Bonam]

BC, you make it seem as if this is a rare event. It's not. What's more strange is the explanation of why eclipses are common, and why we have solstices. IOW, inadvertently, you raise two fascinating questions about our solar system. 1) Why are eclipses/transits so common? 2) Why do we have solstices? (That is, why do have summer and winter?)

----

1) Eclipses (and transits) are common because our solar system, including our moon and most moons of other planets, would fit inside a 25 cent coin. That is, the planets and moons are all on the same plane. In effect, our solar system exists in only two dimensions. Why? (Most representations of an atom show foolishly electrons flying around a nucleus in off-angle orbits - Random link.) Electrons don't "fly" around a nucleus but the logo raises the question why planets and moons are all on the same narrow plane. (Another random link.)

I still wonder why this is so. The universe expands in 3 dimensions but galaxies and solar systems spread out in 2 dimensions.

No need to wonder. Just take a university course on astrodynamics and you'll know. Also, while the solar system is relatively flat, it is not correct to say that it is entirely two-dimensional. In particular, consider Pluto, which orbits in a plane considerably inclined to the 8 planets. The Galaxy is even less flat than the solar system, and our galaxy is flatter than most. Many galaxies are elliptical or irregular in shape and expand out comparable distances in all three dimensions.

2) But then. Our earth turns at an angle to the 25 cent coin of the solar system! Hence, we have a solstice. Our moon revolves around the earth in the same plane as the rest of the solar system but our Earth turns at an oblique angle to it. To my mind, that's amazing. (Uranus' rotation is more intuitive. The equivalent on Earth would be perpetual fall/spring in places like southern Canada.)

The incidental angles that various celestial bodies happen to be oriented at you find "amazing"? Sure, the astronomical phenomena we can observe can be quite spectacular, but there is nothing that unusual about the Earth's tilt. Each planet has a different tilt.

---

Last little point if you're still awake and care for this amateur science lecture about the wonders of the universe. Our solar system turns on a narrow plane, our galaxy (the Milky Way) turns on a narrow plane, but the planes are at different angles.

We are sitting on baubles spinning in one direction, inside cartwheels spinning on another angle, inside cartwheels turning on still another angle. All inside an expanding cake.

All explainable by the force of gravity and the conservation of angular momentum.

If you now say that God does not exist, then you are the greater fool.

It is a simple mind that observes something it does not understand and rather than seeking an explanation, defaults to thinking that only some omnipotent and unknowable power could explain such a thing.

[Sir Bandelot]

Such physical phenomena are important to pagans like me because they provide straightforward explanations for celestial relationships if interpreted correctly, without any need for a Holy Trinity or imprisoned Galileo.

Does that mean you'll be donning your horns and sheep-skins tonight, regardless of any possible cloud cover?

[bush_cheney2004]

Does that mean you'll be donning your horns and sheep-skins tonight, regardless of any possible cloud cover?

Yes....for the Bears game.

[GostHacked]

If it's clear out, I'll try to get the lunar eclipse on video. I'll have to bundle up too .. brrrr.

[August1991]

No need to wonder. Just take a university course on astrodynamics and you'll know. Also, while the solar system is relatively flat, it is not correct to say that it is entirely two-dimensional. In particular, consider Pluto, which orbits in a plane considerably inclined to the 8 planets. The Galaxy is even less flat than the solar system, and our galaxy is flatter than most. Many galaxies are elliptical or irregular in shape and expand out comparable distances in all three dimensions.

...

The incidental angles that various celestial bodies happen to be oriented at you find "amazing"? Sure, the astronomical phenomena we can observe can be quite spectacular, but there is nothing that unusual about the Earth's tilt. Each planet has a different tilt.

I understand reasonably well the physical laws that lead to planets revolving in a rather thin plane although I still think that Pluto should be the norm. And I understand that planetary tilts are probably due to various collisions over time so they are truly random.

It is a simple mind that observes something it does not understand and rather than seeking an explanation, defaults to thinking that only some omnipotent and unknowable power could explain such a thing.

It's sad that you have lost the joy of wonder. And anyway, your answer begs the question. Randomness can be described but it cannot be explained.

[DogOnPorch]

...cloudy...sigh...

[GostHacked]

...cloudy...sigh...

Yeah I could not see much last night, by the time it was a little clear the eclipse had passed. Ah well, just gotta wait a few thousand years for the next, no biggie.

[bush_cheney2004]

...cloudy...sigh...

Yea...cloudy with snow...but we sacrificed the goat anyway.

[M.Dancer]

Totally unrelated, yup. The last time there was one here was in 2008. I intend to stay up for this one and try and get some pictures. I believe totality occurs at 3 or 4 am. Unfortunately skies are not looking too hopeful at the moment.

The last time a solstice coincided with an eclispe of the full moon was over 300 years ago. If you mised it, there's another in 84 years.

[Bonam]

The last time a solstice coincided with an eclispe of the full moon was over 300 years ago. If you mised it, there's another in 84 years.

From the point of view of an eclipse observer, the eclipse doesn't really look particularly different whether it is on a solstice or not.

[M.Dancer]

From the point of view of an eclipse observer, the eclipse doesn't really look particularly different whether it is on a solstice or not.

No, but if you are a pagan it might...

[DogOnPorch]

Yea...cloudy with snow...but we sacrificed the goat anyway.

From the point of view of an eclipse observer, the eclipse doesn't really look particularly different whether it is on a solstice or not.

Yup.

No, but if you are a pagan it might...

Also yup. The Wicca types were having a huge 'to-do' at Avebury, apparently.