The historic Beaver Moon eclipse of November 19, in which the moon was 99% covered by Earth's shadow, was seen by viewers in the U.S., Canada, Central and South America, and parts of Europe, Asia, Australia and New Zealand.
According to moon.nasa.gov/…, it was the longest partial lunar eclipse in a millennium, clocking in at 3 hours, 28 minutes and 23 seconds. There hasn’t been a longer partial lunar eclipse since February 18, 1440 (3 hours, 28 minutes, 46 seconds) and it will remain the longest partial lunar eclipse for 648 years until February 8, 2669 (3 hours, 30 minutes, and 2 seconds). There will be a longertotal lunar eclipse on November 8, 2022.
I presume a few hardy souls here ventured out to watch the almost total lunar eclipse at 4:03 a.m. ET in the morning and fewer were lucky enough to see it in clear skies.
That’s alright; we can still enjoy the event vicariously through some of these amazing pictures posted on twitter.
We start with this iconic set of photos from Washington D.C. —
The U.S. Capitol — where McCarthy was howling and hissing all night, while Democrats were doing the People’s work.
Chicago — the Spirit of Progress was glowing -
New York — We shall rise!
Charlottesville, Virginia —
Boulder, Colorado —
From Georgia Tech — “At 4:07 am, GT student Richard Xiong captured this stunning image of an almost total lunar eclipse at the precise moment the moon sat at the top of Tech Tower. He calculated the moon’s exact position to capture this image — and the chance to repeat it may take hundreds of years.”
Virginia Tech. —
A musical interlude —
Eatonia, Saskatchewan, Canada —
Atacama desert, Chile —
Santiago, Chile —
Vladivostok, Russia —
Tokyo —
Gifu, Japan —
Tō-ji, a Shingon Buddhist temple in the Minami-ku ward of Kyoto, Japan —
Nirasaki City, Japan —
Brisbane, Australia —
Mt. Ngauruhoe, New Zealand —
A map of where the eclipse was visible —
A reflective Poem by Thomas Hardy
At a Lunar Eclipse
by Thomas Hardy
Thy shadow, Earth, from Pole to Central Sea,
Now steals along upon the Moon's meek shine
In even monochrome and curving line
Of imperturbable serenity.
How shall I link such sun-cast symmetry
With the torn troubled form I know as thine,
That profile, placid as a brow divine,
With continents of moil and misery?
And can immense Mortality but throw
So small a shade, and Heaven's high human scheme
Be hemmed within the coasts yon arc implies?
Is such the stellar gauge of earthly show,
Nation at war with nation, brains that teem,
Heroes, and women fairer than the skies?
Epilogue
This eclipse lasted a long time since the Moon was near its farthest point (apogee) in its orbit around the Earth and thus its angular speed was relatively low through the shadow of the Earth.
Did you get a chance to witness this lunar eclipse first-hand? Got any wonderful pictures to share? Any interesting pictures from past lunar eclipses?