Lunar Eclipse

On 2007 March 3, a lunar eclipse occurred. Here in central Virginia, it rose eclipsed and then gradually got out of it. An eclipsewatch was held at the Science Museum of Virginia, and a huge throng of people came out to see it.

On 2007 August 28, another lunar eclipse occurred. Here in central Virginia, it was low in the sky when the Moon entered Earth's shadow, and it set totally eclipsed, with dawn drowning it out. But this time there were no big crowds of people at a museum. The Science Museum did not host a skywatch at 5 o'clock in the morning. People did not want to get up that early, although they did for the transit of Venus in 2004. Instead, I walked out onto my street and found the Moon was setting above my street, so that trees were not in the way. However, a low deck of altocumulus clouds came and blotted out the Moon much of the time, so after about 15 minutes, I went back in the house again.

They say another one will occur in February. On 2008 February 20 from about 8 pm to midnight, the Moon will enter the Earth's shadow. This looks like a good one. I hope to see it and take pictures of it.