Lunar Eclipse/ Solstice Tue, 21st Dec 2010

I saw the lunar eclipse this morning.  This was my first eclipse, and so also my first lunar eclipse.  In fact, I often read about meteor showers or Mars being visible and think to myself that I will definitely remember to take a look later that night — and then I forget all about it. Today was no different, I knew about it, and I promptly forgot — until I was faced with it!  It was right ahead of me, and it was wonderful!

The cold air meant that the light was sharp and the colours bright.  I stopped on the bridge with a small group of wonderers, and we just gazed at the spectacle in the south west sky.  The shadow of our planet darkened out the moon, and then it appeared as a pinky red ring, with a red diamond.  Of course I tried to take a picture with my rubbish camera phone, but frankly I don’t think I could have really captured the event with any camera.

It was really cold, and it made my day.  To mark the winter season, the office heating broke down — ice trapped condenser fins.  Had to try to work all day with cold hands. Brrrr.