Red moon at night

(PHOTO: BUZZYBEE © Jenny Rollo)

Apparently, there was some sort of meteorite monkey business going on over the UK last night, there were reports of sightings from Devon to Durham via Stratford Upon Avon. I can’t see any info anywhere on the web, but I am annoyed that I missed it, whatever it was. I usually miss such things, I come to work the next day and everone is all ‘did you see the amazing shooting stars last night’ and I’m all ‘no I was watching CSI why didn’t anybody tell me’. This time however, I will be ahead of the game. As will you all, thanks to me. It’s not a meteor, it’s not an asteroid (nor is it a bird or a plane), it’s this year’s first and only total eclipse of the Moon, and it’s on February 20th.

The only fly in the ointment (for us Europeans anyway) is the timing. Says the press release:

“In the UK night owls and early risers will both have a chance to watch the eclipse. It begins at 0035 GMT when the Moon enters the lightest part of the Earth’s shadow, the penumbra. Soon after the Moon will have a slight yellowish hue. At 0142 GMT the Moon starts to enter the dark core of the Earth’s shadow, the umbra. At 0301 GMT the Moon will be completely within the umbra – the ‘total’ part of the eclipse has begun. This is the time when it should have an obvious red colour. Mid-eclipse is at 0326 GMT and the total phase ends at 0352 GMT. At 0509 GMT the Moon leaves the umbra and the eclipse ends when the Moon leaves the penumbra at 0617 GMT.”

Hmf. Not ideal, but I reckon I’ll set my alarm anyway as I do like a nice lunar eclipse. Enjoy.