December 25, 2010 by Istvan
I’ve seen lunar eclipses before. They’re much more common, safer to view, and longer-lasting than solar eclipses. This week’s was particularly special to me, though.
First of all, despite light cloud cover as it began, my customary meteorological ill-fortune didn’t materialize and the event was easily viewable from my back porch. Second of all, the weather that evening was unseasonably warm, so stepping out to observe wasn’t unpleasant, even without a coat. Third of all, the eclipse was just north of the middle of the Great Hexagon – making the view utterly spectacular.
The Great Hexagon is an asterism – not a constellation – made up of some of the brightest stars in the sky. It’s centered on Betelgeuse, meaning Orion (well-known as one of the brightest and most recognizable constellations) stands surrounded by the Hexagon. The six vertex stars of the Hexagon are Aldebaran, Rigel, Sirius, Procyon, Pollux, and Capella. Ordinarily an awesome winter spectacle at any time, but particularly awe-inspiring with the dim reddish eclipsed Moon just a degree or so above Betelgeuse!
Another element making the evening special was noticing various neighbors, whom I had no reason to suspect of having any interest in astronomy or space, quietly stepping out of doors to also partake of the view at various moments as the eclipse progressed. Eclipses allow the excitement of the celestial to reach many, without teachers or instruments, who ordinarily don’t give the sky much daily thought, beyond the possibility of rain.
For those of us who love space, though, even without an eclipse, just gazing at the familiar moon is enough to set our hearts beating faster. We look at the moon as familiar, but not familiar enough. Even with the shadow of Earth sliding across it, we cannot help but ask, “What’s the view like – from there?” How soon will our children stand there in pressure suits, and watch from outside a quonset hut buried in regolith, as our Earth transits across the Sun? For us, not soon enough.