Solstice-eclipse overlap first in 456 years

up for anything

This year's winter solstice — an event that will occur next Tuesday — will coincide with a full lunar eclipse in a union that hasn't been seen in 456 years.

Is this something we will be able to see in Ireland if there is no cloud cover?

Solstice-eclipse overlap, first in 456 years

peterako

Good question.

According to Stellarium it doesn't look like it

But neither I nor Stellarium are infallible!

Better minds here may be able to give the correct answer.

Clear skies!

Cú Giobach

We will see the start of it and the moon will set (from here anyway) as it's coming out of the shadow as the sun rises.
Personally I think this will be an interesting one, because the moon will (should) totally disappear as it gets brighter.

Cú Giobach

peterako wrote: »

Good question.
According to Stellarium it doesn't look like it
But neither I nor Stellarium are infallible!
Better minds here may be able to give the correct answer.
Clear skies!

I've been checking stellarium and got these screen shots from it.
They are at 15 min intervals starting at 06:45, for the last one 07:30 the sun (from here in Cork) is still 10deg below the horizon.
This is the first eclipse I'm going to be comparing to stellarium, so I don't know how accurate it is for this (Anybody??).
If it is accurate things are looking good. .......

peterako

Never thought of zooming in so much

In my experience Stellarium is pretty accurate.

(I was looking at the wrong times.....in typical morning after the night before fasjion I had worked out that we were behind Canadian time )

Good work Mr. Hound....

Peter

Peter M. Gibson

If you want confusion about eclipse dates here it is in spades:

The last time a total lunar eclipse occured on Dec 21st was in 1638.
That is 372 years ago not 456 years.
However,they were using the Julian Calendar in Ireland and Britain at that time and the solstice actually happened on 10th Dec 1638, 11 days earlier.
So that eclipse didn't happen at the Solstice.

1554 is indeed the last time they both coincided.
But the date was Julian date 10th Dec.

A.

yomchi

Hi guys,

Just wondering what the best location is to view the moon on the west horizon tomorrow morning? Myself and a friend are just getting into astronomy so we're looking a little info on it. Astronomy Ireland says to go to the Sandymount area, but that's on the east coast, will the view of the western horizon be hampred by the city and mountains?

Any info appreciated!

peterako

Would have thought 'the higher the better'....

With an (as much as possible) unubstructed view to the setting horizon.

MoonDancer

Was that not on this morning?

yomchi

No tomorrow morning, Tuesday.

Slogger Jogger

In advance of the eclipse was the sun burning that bit brighter today.. certainly that was the perception? It was vividly bright and warm this afternoon.. unusually so? Anyone else notice this?

Tragamin2k2

Slogger Jogger wrote: »

In advance of the eclipse was the sun burning that bit brighter today.. certainly that was the perception? It was vividly bright and warm this afternoon.. unusually so? Anyone else notice this?

someone must have tipped it off

francie81

I hope I get to see it before I go into work tomorrow

francie81

Slogger Jogger wrote: »

In advance of the eclipse was the sun burning that bit brighter today.. certainly that was the perception? It was vividly bright and warm this afternoon.. unusually so? Anyone else notice this?

Didn't really notice this up here in louth when I was out as it was mostly freezing fog around.

Minstrel27

At what time of the morning should I be looking at the moon. It is a lovely clear night thus far.

francie81

Minstrel27 wrote: »

At what time of the morning should I be looking at the moon. It is a lovely clear night thus far.

Begins around 6.30 to 7.40

yomchi

yomchi wrote: »

Hi guys,

Just wondering what the best location is to view the moon on the west horizon tomorrow morning? Myself and a friend are just getting into astronomy so we're looking a little info on it. Astronomy Ireland says to go to the Sandymount area, but that's on the east coast, will the view of the western horizon be hampred by the city and mountains?

Any info appreciated!

Any ideas on this folks? Lot's of people saying they are heading out to watch cloud permitting, but afaik the moon will be 10 degrees above the horizon which is quite low any suggestions for decent views in Dublin with a telescope?

Amalgam

Very bright and crystal clear Moon at the moment, 3am. What's the earliest when a partial eclipse can be seen, later today?

Some of the media outlets are a bit fanciful, saying from 4am onwards.

johnmcdnl

Can someone explain to me why the moon starts to get blocked out, more blokced out, nearly fully blocked out and then bang turns to red where does the red come from????

Amalgam

Can I take an ignorant guess? Maybe because the reflected light is travelling through the atmosphere at a low angle?!

Cú Giobach

Amalgam wrote: »

Can I take an ignorant guess? Maybe because the reflected light is travelling through the atmosphere at a low angle?!

From the moon, the Earth would be surrounded by a ring of red light, the combined light of "all" the sunrises and sunsets. This is the light that lights up the moon as the sun is eclipsed by the Earth.

Lovely clear morning here and a crisp -6.1 (I know thats balmy compared to lots of other places but for sea level on the coast of W'Cork, wow!), I am so glad I can watch this from my upstairs bedroom window.

Edit:
Now that is a lovely sight, shadow creeping over.
Edit2: to re-explain, miss-read the post. oops.

Ghost Train

Here's a photo I just took of the start of it

redman

yes sure is looking good!

Ghost Train

Spunge

Wish i had binoculars

skeleton_boy

Is it still happening?

Ghost Train

Ghost Train

skeleton_boy wrote: »

Is it still happening?

yes

WindSock

See some eclipse but no red sky.

Cú Giobach

Shadow sweeping over the Apollo 11 lunar lander now.

Ghost Train

Ghost Train

johnmcdnl

no sign of the red moon yet - do we just have to be patient now for a wee while.. my toes are going to fall off soon waiting - hope it's worth it

Ghost Train

here's a link to stream for sunrise at Newgrange

http://www.heritageireland.ie/en/WS2010/#d.en.15228

GhostInTheRuins

Damn clouds came in about 15 minutes ago, won't be going away by the looks of it.

Ghost Train

GhostInTheRuins wrote: »

Damn clouds came in about 15 minutes ago, won't be going away by the looks of it.

Yeah pity, not seeing anything on that stream yet either

telecaster

here's a live eclipse stream from someone with better views than us

http://www.ustream.tv/spacevidcast

decies

Nothing over waterford

redman

GhostInTheRuins

Has that Newgrange stream started? I just hope there's nothing wrong with my browser that it's not showing up.

Cú Giobach

It should be on Rte here also (If that cloud moves) . (newgrange).

Ghost Train

GhostInTheRuins wrote: »

Has that Newgrange stream started? I just hope there's nothing wrong with my browser that it's not showing up.

Says here 8.30am so hopefully it will start around then

northdubgal

GhostInTheRuins wrote: »

Has that Newgrange stream started? I just hope there's nothing wrong with my browser that it's not showing up.

Mine's the same, nothing happening!

GhostInTheRuins

Ghost Train wrote: »

Says here 8.30am so hopefully it will start around then

Thanks! I thought the time it says on the video was a bit early for sunrise all right!

Sightaridis

Had a great view of it from my house, but braved the conditions outside to try get a timelapse of it. This was a failure, due to my freezing cold hands and a dodgy tripod. Really disappointed with myself, I got lots of practise with timelapse photography over the Summer so I really should have done better! Maybe next time. :P

Still, so happy I got to see it, especially as I forgot to set my alarm. God bless my cat!

Here was my view of it:

Cork24

Got to see the start of it in cork city but the coulds came in and made my view at about 2% to bad its going to be another 5years before we see one in Ireland again

Cú Giobach

According to the weather radar there is a big bank of cloud heading for bruach na Bóinne, seems set to hit at sunrise, hmmm.

Just realised that is snow heading that way, looks like newgrange is clouded over as it is, anybody near there??

squod

Worst once in every 400 years even ever. I blame the government.

newmug

Cú Giobach wrote: »

According to the weather radar there is a big bank of cloud heading for bruach na Bóinne, seems set to hit at sunrise, hmmm.

Just realised that is snow heading that way, looks like newgrange is clouded over as it is, anybody near there??

You have a weather radar:eek:

Ficheall

Cnuting clouds.
It's fecking cold out there.
Still, the biteen of snow was nice.

Ghost Train

Cú Giobach wrote: »

It should be on Rte here also (If that cloud moves) . (newgrange).

seems to be on rte now