Lunar Eclipse

For those of us on the wrong side of the earth for todays lunar eclipse, NASA’s JPL offers the next best thing. A solar system simulator.  You’ll have to monkey with the settings. I’d recommend using the extra brightness if you view the earth from the moon for a Terran eclipse. The view from the moon is visually more interesting, I think. This simulator is a very useful tool for exploring the solar system. Enjoy!

Tom, founder and drive system engineer, at the LTO 18″ telescope. [Photo from starkids.org]

One of the coolest things I have ever witnessed happened during a lunar eclipse a few years ago. We had the observatory open during the event with the 18″ Cassegrain pointed at the moons limb. As you watched a star along the edge of the moon, you could see the moon moving against the background of stars, eventually occulting the star in the period of a few minutes. Of course, you don’t have to wait for an eclipse to do this, but there it was that night, the celestial clockwork in motion before your eyes.

[Thanks to Les for the JPL link!]

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