[NatureNS] Goodnight, moon -- Wednesday night, the Earth's shadow will plunge the moon into darkness. From here, it will be a lovely sight -- Globe and Mail, Tues., Fe b. 19, 2008

References: <C3E06A11.118B7%jimwolford@eastlink.ca>
From: Patrick Kelly <patrick.kelly@dal.ca>
Date: Tue, 19 Feb 2008 15:53:41 -0400
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Hi everyone:

Just keep in mind that the times given are Eastern. For Atlantic times, =20=

be sure to add an hour.

Pat


On Feb 19, 2008, at 11:12 AM, Jim Wolford wrote:

>
>
> Subject: Goodnight, moon -- Wednesday night, the Earth's shadow will =20=

> plunge the moon into darkness. =46rom here, it will be a lovely sight =
-- =20
> Globe and Mail, Tues., Feb. 19, 2008
>
>  Globe and Mail, Tuesday, Feb. 19, 2008
>
>  [This article was on line, but check out Tuesday's Globe and Mail =20
> newspaper, page 3 of first section, for the lovely colour =20
> illustrations that accompanied it. JW]
>
>
> Goodnight, moon
> Wednesday night, the Earth's shadow will plunge the moon into =20
> darkness. =46rom here, it will be a lovely sight
>
> PAUL TAYLOR
>
>  =46rom Tuesday's Globe and Mail
> 	=95 	E-mail Paul Taylor | Read Bio | Latest Columns
> February 19, 2008 at 5:35 AM EST
>
>  Wednesday night, skywatchers across Canada will be treated to an =20
> astronomical spectacle - a total eclipse of the moon.
>
>  The long shadow of the Earth will sweep across the full moon and =20
> transform the normally bright lunar surface into an eerie red or rusty =
=20
> brown colour.
>
>  "It will look like a Halloween pumpkin hanging up there, high in the =20=

> sky," said Terence Dickinson, editor of SkyNews, a Canadian astronomy =20=

> magazine.
>
>  "Everyone who is interested in the phenomena of nature should go =20
> outside and have a look."
>
>  Provided the weather is good and the skies are clear, it promises to =20=

> be an awe-inspiring sight, Mr. Dickinson said.
>
>  And there won't be another one visible from Canada for nearly three =20=

> years - Dec. 20, 2010.
>
>  For a lunar eclipse to occur, the Earth must be precisely aligned =20
> between the sun and the moon in order to block the solar rays from =20
> striking the lunar surface.
>
>  The celestial event has several distinct phases.
>
>  The show gets under way at 8:43 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (or 5:43 =20=

> Pacific Standard Time), when the moon passes into the Earth's dark =20
> inner shadow known as the umbra.
>
>  At first, it will look as if someone has taken a bite out of the left =
=20
> side of the moon. Earth's shadow will continue to creep across the =20
> lunar surface, with the "bite" becoming increasingly bigger.
>
>  By 10:01 p.m. EST, the entire moon will be gobbled up by the shadow =20=

> so that no direct light from the sun can reach its surface.
>
>  But the moon still won't go completely dark.
>
>  That's because the Earth's atmosphere acts like a prism and bends =20
> some of the sun's light into the shadow.
>
>  If astronauts were standing on the moon, they would witness the Earth =
=20
> covering up the sun.
>
>  The Earth would look like a black disc surrounded by a thin rim of =20=

> red light. This rim is the planet's glowing atmosphere at the boundary =
=20
> between day and night - where sunrises and sunsets happen.
>
>  And it is this reddish light that is "bent" into the Earth's shadow, =20=

> giving the moon its unusual colour during the eclipse.
>
>  The colour of the moon can vary dramatically, depending on the amount =
=20
> of dust and cloud in the Earth's atmosphere.
>
>  (Particles in the air tend to absorb the blue light, while letting =20=

> through the red end of the spectrum.)
>
>  It can range from shades of red to coppery brown.
>
>  "It's impossible to predict the colour," Mr. Dickinson said.
>
>  "Every eclipse is slightly different."
>
>  At 10:51 p.m. EST, the moon will begin to emerge from the shadow.
>
>  A thin sliver of light will first be visible on the left side of the =20=

> moon.
>
>  It will gradually swell until it covers the entire lunar surface.
>
>  At that point - 12:09 a.m. EST - the cosmic display will draw to a =20=

> close and Earth's natural satellite will be restored to its normal =20
> appearance.
>
>  Mr. Dickinson said it's unusual for a total eclipse to be visible =20
> from coast to coast.
>
>  "We live in a big country with a lot of different time zones," he =20
> said.
>
>  Normally, only one area of the country is favoured and skywatchers in =
=20
> other regions can see only a minor part of the event.
>
>  Tomorrow night, however, the entire country will be graced with =20
> front-row seats.
>
>  On the East Coast, the moon will be relatively high in the sky as the =
=20
> eclipse commences.
>
>  On the West Coast, the moon will be just rising above the horizon at =20=

> the beginning of the show.
>
>  Despite the different positions of the moon in the sky, everyone =20
> across Canada should be able to see the eclipse, so long as it isn't =20=

> cloudy.
>
>  Unlike a solar eclipse, you don't need protective eyewear or special =20=

> equipment to watch a lunar eclipse - although a pair of binoculars can =
=20
> enhance the viewing, Mr. Dickinson said.
>
>  And you can observe the spectacle in a leisurely fashion because it =20=

> unfolds over the course of several hours.
>
>  "You don't have to stand outside from start to finish ... this is the =
=20
> middle of February," Mr. Dickinson said.
>
>  "I am a rabid enthusiast about these things and even I won't be out =20=

> there the entire time."
>
>  Instead, he suggests popping outdoors occasionally to witness brief =20=

> portions of the various stages of the eclipse.
>
>  An added bonus of this eclipse will be the apparent proximity of the =20=

> moon to one of the major planets.
>
>  The moon will be flanked by what will look like two bright stars.
>
>  The one on the left side of the moon is actually the ringed planet =20=

> Saturn.
>
>  The star on the upper right is Regulus - a sun in the constellation =20=

> of Leo.
>
>  As the night progresses, the moon will seem to draw closer to Saturn.
>
>  Of course, it's just an optical illusion and the heavenly bodies are =20=

> actually separated by vast distances of space.
>
>  Skywatchers are now eagerly awaiting this week's eclipse.
>
>  Some local astronomy clubs will be holding special outdoor "star =20
> parties" to observe the cosmic display.
>
>  But an eclipse can be more than a natural wonder in the sky.
>
>  In the distant past, eclipses helped shape human understanding of the =
=20
> universe.
>
>  The ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle realized the world was round =20=

> when he saw the Earth's curved shadow on the surface of the moon.
>
>  His brilliant observation, however, was largely forgotten or ignored =20=

> for centuries.
>
>  *****
>
> A shadow over the moon
>
>  Tomorrow's total eclipse of the moon will be visible across the =20
> country, starting at 8:43 p.m. EST.
>
>  In the East, the spectacle will take place relatively high in the sky =
=20
> while, in the West, the moon will be low on the horizon as it begins =20=

> to move into Earth's shadow.
>
>  WHERE IT'S VISIBLE
>
>  Most of North America, all of South America, plus Western Europe and =20=

> West Africa will be able to see the lunar eclipse in its entirety.
>
>  HOW IT HAPPENS
>
>  A total lunar eclipse occurs when the moon passes entirely through =20=

> the Earth's shadow.
>
>  UMBRA
>
>  Direct sunlight is completely blocked within Earth's inner shadow.
>
>  ATMOSPHERIC REFRACTION
>
>  A thin sliver of sunlight, filtered and bent by the Earth's =20
> atmosphere, gives the moon a reddish glow.
>
>  HOW IT WILL UNFOLD
>
>  Tomorrow's will be the last eclipse visible from Canada for almost =20=

> three years.
>
>  THE LATE SHOW
>
>  The lunar eclipse will last about three hours and 26 minutes.
>
>  The moon will be completely immersed within the Earth's dark umbral =20=

> shadow for just under 50 minutes.
>
>  SOURCES: NASA, SPACE.COM, SKY & TELESCOPE, TERENCE DICKINSON
>
>

=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=20
=3D=3D
Patrick Kelly
Director of Computer Facilities
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=20
=3D=3D
Faculty of Architecture and Planning
Dalhousie University
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=20
=3D=3D
PO Box 1000 Stn Central                5410 Spring Garden Road
Halifax, Nova Scotia B3J 2X4           Halifax, Nova Scotia B3J 2X4
Canada                                 Canada
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=20
=3D=3D
Phone:(902) 494-3294    FAX:(902) 423-6672   E-mail:patrick.kelly@dal.ca
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=20
=3D=3D


--Apple-Mail-124--342161218
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
Content-Type: text/enriched;
	charset=WINDOWS-1252

Hi everyone:


Just keep in mind that the times given are Eastern. For Atlantic
times, be sure to add an hour.


Pat



On Feb 19, 2008, at 11:12 AM, Jim Wolford wrote:


<excerpt>


<bold>Subject: </bold>Goodnight, moon -- Wednesday night, the Earth's
shadow will plunge the moon into darkness. =46rom here, it will be a
lovely sight -- Globe and Mail, Tues., Feb. 19, 2008


 Globe and Mail, Tuesday, Feb. 19, 2008


 [This article was on line, but check out Tuesday's Globe and Mail
newspaper, page 3 of first section, for the lovely colour
illustrations that accompanied it. JW]



<bold><fontfamily><param>Trebuchet =
MS</param><bigger><bigger><bigger><bigger><bigger><bigger>Goodnight,
=
moon</bigger></bigger></bigger></bigger></bigger></bigger></fontfamily></b=
old>

<fontfamily><param>Trebuchet =
MS</param><color><param>6868,6868,6868</param><bigger><bigger><bigger><big=
ger><bigger><bigger>Wednesday
night, the Earth's shadow will plunge the moon into darkness. From
here, it will be a lovely =
sight</bigger></bigger></bigger></bigger></bigger></bigger></color></fontf=
amily>


<bold>PAUL TAYLOR</bold>


 =46rom Tuesday's Globe and Mail

	=95 	E-mail Paul Taylor | =
<color><param>0E0E,2121,5B5B</param>Read
Bio</color><bigger> </bigger>|
<color><param>0E0E,2121,5B5B</param>Latest Columns</color>

February 19, 2008 at 5:35 AM EST


 Wednesday night, skywatchers across Canada will be treated to an
astronomical spectacle - a total eclipse of the moon.


 The long shadow of the Earth will sweep across the full moon and
transform the normally bright lunar surface into an eerie red or rusty
brown colour.


 "It will look like a Halloween pumpkin hanging up there, high in the
sky," said Terence Dickinson, editor of SkyNews, a Canadian astronomy
magazine.


 "Everyone who is interested in the phenomena of nature should go
outside and have a look."


 Provided the weather is good and the skies are clear, it promises to
be an awe-inspiring sight, Mr. Dickinson said.


 And there won't be another one visible from Canada for nearly three
years - Dec. 20, 2010.


 For a lunar eclipse to occur, the Earth must be precisely aligned
between the sun and the moon in order to block the solar rays from
striking the lunar surface.


 The celestial event has several distinct phases.


 The show gets under way at 8:43 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (or 5:43
Pacific Standard Time), when the moon passes into the Earth's dark
inner shadow known as the umbra.


 At first, it will look as if someone has taken a bite out of the left
side of the moon. Earth's shadow will continue to creep across the
lunar surface, with the "bite" becoming increasingly bigger.


 By 10:01 p.m. EST, the entire moon will be gobbled up by the shadow
so that no direct light from the sun can reach its surface.


 But the moon still won't go completely dark.


 That's because the Earth's atmosphere acts like a prism and bends
some of the sun's light into the shadow.


 If astronauts were standing on the moon, they would witness the Earth
covering up the sun.


 The Earth would look like a black disc surrounded by a thin rim of
red light. This rim is the planet's glowing atmosphere at the boundary
between day and night - where sunrises and sunsets happen.


 And it is this reddish light that is "bent" into the Earth's shadow,
giving the moon its unusual colour during the eclipse.


 The colour of the moon can vary dramatically, depending on the amount
of dust and cloud in the Earth's atmosphere.


 (Particles in the air tend to absorb the blue light, while letting
through the red end of the spectrum.)


 It can range from shades of red to coppery brown.


 "It's impossible to predict the colour," Mr. Dickinson said.


 "Every eclipse is slightly different."


 At 10:51 p.m. EST, the moon will begin to emerge from the shadow.


 A thin sliver of light will first be visible on the left side of the
moon.


 It will gradually swell until it covers the entire lunar surface.


 At that point - 12:09 a.m. EST - the cosmic display will draw to a
close and Earth's natural satellite will be restored to its normal
appearance.


 Mr. Dickinson said it's unusual for a total eclipse to be visible
from coast to coast.


 "We live in a big country with a lot of different time zones," he
said.


 Normally, only one area of the country is favoured and skywatchers in
other regions can see only a minor part of the event.


 Tomorrow night, however, the entire country will be graced with
front-row seats.


 On the East Coast, the moon will be relatively high in the sky as the
eclipse commences.


 On the West Coast, the moon will be just rising above the horizon at
the beginning of the show.


 Despite the different positions of the moon in the sky, everyone
across Canada should be able to see the eclipse, so long as it isn't
cloudy.


 Unlike a solar eclipse, you don't need protective eyewear or special
equipment to watch a lunar eclipse - although a pair of binoculars can
enhance the viewing, Mr. Dickinson said.


 And you can observe the spectacle in a leisurely fashion because it
unfolds over the course of several hours.


 "You don't have to stand outside from start to finish ... this is the
middle of February," Mr. Dickinson said.


 "I am a rabid enthusiast about these things and even I won't be out
there the entire time."


 Instead, he suggests popping outdoors occasionally to witness brief
portions of the various stages of the eclipse.


 An added bonus of this eclipse will be the apparent proximity of the
moon to one of the major planets.


 The moon will be flanked by what will look like two bright stars.


 The one on the left side of the moon is actually the ringed planet
Saturn.


 The star on the upper right is Regulus - a sun in the constellation
of Leo.


 As the night progresses, the moon will seem to draw closer to Saturn.


 Of course, it's just an optical illusion and the heavenly bodies are
actually separated by vast distances of space.


 Skywatchers are now eagerly awaiting this week's eclipse.


 Some local astronomy clubs will be holding special outdoor "star
parties" to observe the cosmic display.


 But an eclipse can be more than a natural wonder in the sky.


 In the distant past, eclipses helped shape human understanding of the
universe.


 The ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle realized the world was round
when he saw the Earth's curved shadow on the surface of the moon.


 His brilliant observation, however, was largely forgotten or ignored
for centuries.


 *****


<bold>A shadow over the moon</bold>


 Tomorrow's total eclipse of the moon will be visible across the
country, starting at 8:43 p.m. EST.


 In the East, the spectacle will take place relatively high in the sky
while, in the West, the moon will be low on the horizon as it begins
to move into Earth's shadow.


 WHERE IT'S VISIBLE


 Most of North America, all of South America, plus Western Europe and
West Africa will be able to see the lunar eclipse in its entirety.


 HOW IT HAPPENS


 A total lunar eclipse occurs when the moon passes entirely through
the Earth's shadow.


 UMBRA


 Direct sunlight is completely blocked within Earth's inner shadow.


 ATMOSPHERIC REFRACTION


 A thin sliver of sunlight, filtered and bent by the Earth's
atmosphere, gives the moon a reddish glow.


 HOW IT WILL UNFOLD


 Tomorrow's will be the last eclipse visible from Canada for almost
three years.


 THE LATE SHOW


 The lunar eclipse will last about three hours and 26 minutes.


 The moon will be completely immersed within the Earth's dark umbral
shadow for just under 50 minutes.


 SOURCES: NASA, SPACE.COM, SKY & TELESCOPE, TERENCE DICKINSON



</excerpt><fontfamily><param>Courier</param>

=
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Patrick Kelly

Director of Computer Facilities

=
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
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Faculty of Architecture and Planning

Dalhousie University

=
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
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PO Box 1000 Stn Central                5410 Spring Garden Road

Halifax, Nova Scotia B3J 2X4           Halifax, Nova Scotia B3J 2X4

Canada                                 Canada

=
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
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Phone:(902) 494-3294    FAX:(902) 423-6672 =20
E-mail:patrick.kelly@dal.ca

=
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
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</fontfamily>


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