Last night we got to experience a total lunar eclipse from our back yard. Good thing, too, since it happened after midnight. We all went to bed around ten and set an alarm for 12:00. My youngest son asked me this morning if he got up to see it or if he had just imagined it. So much for laying down memories!
Mike took some photos, which I’ve included below. They’ll make great memories for us, but if you want to see the true majesty of this eclipse, you can check it out at Bad Astronomy.
View from the backyard: 9:09 pm
Full moon, 9:09 pm
Full Blood Moon: 12:50 am
According to Phil Plait of Slate:
there will be three more total lunar eclipses visible to the United States over the next year and half: in October this year, and in April and September of 2015. While their won’t be any bright stars near the Moon for the eclipse in October, the planet Uranus will be only a degree away! There’s also a partial solar eclipse two weeks later, on Oct. 23, 2014! That’ll be a treat. And if you live in Australia there’s a nice annular solar eclipse on April 29; this is when the Moon is slightly smaller than the Sun and leaves a ring of Sun around the dark Moon.
Do you enjoy watching a lunar or solar eclipse? If so, please share your memories in the comments below.
Gardening Nirvana 
Jeff had been telling me about the blood moon so I could have my camera ready. Unfortunately, the clouds rolled in and blocked our view. I’m glad to see your photo – and yes, eclipses and astronomy are fascinating!
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Oh bummer! I’ve heard that from more than one person. Perhaps you’ll be able to view the one in October.
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As an astrologer I can tell you that everybody’s going bananas over the four sets of eclipses (solar and lunar eclipses always occur in pairs two weeks apart) that will take place this year and next. The Blood Moon was at 2:45am for us so I didn’t see it, but I’m enjoying your pictures ;-).
Alicia
spashionista.com
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I didn’t know they occurred in pairs! Thanks for that bit of info. I took an astronomy class in college and loved it, but the labs required math far beyond my capabilities.
I didn’t know you were an astrologer. You are always surprising me.
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It was not visible here and must have been quite something to see! – so glad you all got up, even if it is just a blurry image in YS’s memory! I believe the colour came from the reflection of the sun’s rays in our atmosphere – which is also a pretty phenomenal thought!
I love to see these natural phenomenons – the best one in my memory is the time [many years ago now] when we had a full solar eclipse in the middle of the day – it was so eerie as the birds and insects all stopped their singing and general noise-making, people became quiet and stopped moving about as the twilight settled in. My collection of Moonflowers all opened up………. It was the feeling of the occasion rather than the sight that made a deep impression on me 🙂
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Wow, Pauline. What an incredible experience. These astrological events make me feel small in this world, but in a positive way. It brings on a sense that I’m part of a bigger whole…if that makes sense.
We had a partial solar eclipse two summers ago (if memory serves). The shadows were amazing. It was a very hot day, and then gradually the sun was partially occluded. I love it.
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Thanks for the photos. I’m rarely in a position to see the moon as the apartment buildings are usually blocking the view. If I’m not mistaken, 4 in one year is a rarity. I get regular updates from my astrologer on all the changes. Wish I understood it all better. More books to read. 🙂
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Marlene, are you watching the new Cosmos show with Neil DeGrasse Tyson? It’s pretty interesting.
We’re also fans of the show The Big Bang Theory, and occasionally learn one or two things amid the comedy.
Yes, four in one year is pretty rare. Exciting stuff, though. Sorry to hear you have a blocked view. Many years ago my in laws lived in Calistoga. It was amazing how much you could see up there without the light pollution from the city. It was spectacular.
I loved your recent post, but read it on my phone and didn’t make it back to reply. I’m heading there now.
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Sounds like you had fun together. Paul and I checked it out from our porch balcony.
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Nice! It was such a warm night, too.
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Hahaha, M cracked me up. “Did I get up?”, must be great to get such restful sleep that you don’t remember in the morning. Is it hard to look up in the sky for a long time with his sensitive neck.
I’m also laughing at the Gravatars above. The ones that are non-personalized. Especially Sheryl…LOL. That’s a really joyful monster !
I really wanted to see the Blood Moon too, but like Julia, we had too much cloud coverage last night. It rained overnight and for part of the day today, I was enjoying it with my window open. Then, tonight it turned to snow when the temps dipped…..honestly it’s mid-April !!
Were there other neighbours out too? Did Mouse come over to watch with you? I think that’s Venus up there shining really bright……I’ll go to the link and find out for sure. Hopefully in October we’ll have better luck.
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I did a bit of ‘housecleaning’ on my blog, and changed the unassigned gravatars to the random ‘monsters.’ They are funny, aren’t they.
Some of our neighbors went to a nearby park where someone had set up telescopes. That would have been fun, but we all had to get up early, so we just watched, very briefly, from our back garden.
I hope you get to see the next one in October.
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I forgot about it until I was watching the 7:00 news. It had just finished, and the news item showed footage of it! I did get up at about 1:00 am, and the light was amazing. I went out into the garden and everything was bathed in a very strong silver light. My shadow was as clear as on a bright day. Then I realised that it was the moon’s fault for me not sleeping. Full moons often disturb my sleeping habits. I love your photos.
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I was too tired to register those things. I’m glad you were able to really partake in the light and shadow.
I think we’re all tied to the lunar cycles, but not everyone tunes in as well. I’m sorry to hear they disturb your sleep though. Do you think it’s the extra light or is it more than that?
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I am not sure whether it is the extra light or not. I sometimes feel that it is the pull of the moon, tugging at me as it tugs at the tides. However, I love the full moon, and am always delighted to see it. Not sleeping so well doesn’t matter so much now that I am not working full time.
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You have a wonderful attitude about it. I’m going to start paying more attention to my sleep and the moon.
Have you seen this scientific study? Fascinating!
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What beautiful pictures – thank-you! Feel so blessed to have been taken by surprise at this amazing sight on a late evening run in UK last night. Too surprised to take pictures. Mercifully, imagination has its own magical way of processing and a poem ensued, followed by a link to you. Thank you magical Universe 🙂
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A run with a poem to follow sounds pretty special to me. Thanks for linking over. I’ll come see what you’re up to.
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We couldn’t see this one from France but the blood moon is amazing!
I’m an amateur astronomy enthusiast so I do love watching eclipses. I remember the solar eclipse of summer 2000, it happened around lunchtime, I was in town and it was so strange, everything just sort of stopped and people got really quiet, and the light was odd.
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It’s amazing the effect they have on all of us. I wonder what our ancient ancestors thought?
Is there anything coming up on the horizon in your area of France?
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There’ll be the Lyrid meteor shower peaking at the start of next week! You should be able to see it too!
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Oh! Thanks for that tip. I love the sound of it too…Lyrid.
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I saw this and totally freaked out!! i have no idea what was happening and if the moon was this colour everywhere or not. Great photos!
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It was amazing, wasn’t it? Thank you for the compliment!
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