Lunar Eclipse Feb 20th 2008

Post by **sensei** » Thu Feb 21, 2008 7:49 am

In 1970 I went to Norfolk, VA to see the solar eclipse. It was a little sad that so many people there actually stayed inside and even closed the curtains because they'd heard that solar eclipses could make you go blind. Apparently this is not a new belief: in the early 1800s there was a sudden cluster of births nine months after a solar eclipse visible in New England, and the explanation that went around was that it was like increases in the birth rate attributed to power outages 9 months before: people forced to stay inside with nothing better to do ... well ... made babies instead.

Dunno if that will happen with this eclipse, though. It was bitter cold in Arl with snow showers, but there were clear patches that went through in between, and so I saw a bit of it as it went close to totality: very pretty and colorful.

transmet · Post by **transmet** » Thu Feb 21, 2008 10:50 am

Was surprisingly clear from my vantage point out here in L.A.

dude_moose · Post by **dude_moose** » Thu Feb 21, 2008 3:18 pm

I was only outside for a couple minutes and didn't have a tripod, so this was the best I could do...

Keropi · Post by **Keropi** » Thu Feb 21, 2008 3:58 pm

You guys must have seen more color than I did.

I saw more color outside of totality, but not as much as I would have preferred. I should have looked at the moon more after the total eclipse part was over.

klet · Post by **klet** » Thu Feb 21, 2008 5:18 pm

It was too cloudy here. We got a thunderstorm and some rain instead. Frankly, we probably needed the rain more than a lunar eclipse. AZ in a permanent drought . . . or has been for about 15 years.

I saw it years ago, though, when it was bright red. I thought it was the coolest thing ever.