Winter Solstice Lunar Eclipse 12/21/2010

12-21-2010

Time lapse video of Winter Solstice Lunar Eclipse on December 21, 2010

Unfortunately, since we live in the Pacific Northwest we were only given a 20% chance of being able to see the eclipse. I am an optimist by nature, so I remained hopeful. When the clouds parted last night and it looked like we were going to get our chance, I was delighted and almost giddy. This was the first time in 500 years that a lunar eclipse would accompany the Winter Solstice. (Winter Solstice is when the North Pole and the Northern Hemisphere are tilted farthest from the sun).  This day also officially marks the beginning of winter and thus has the longest night of the year.

So I gathered my stuff and ran outside to set up. Within a few minutes I had my camera perfectly angled on the tripod and my remote in hand. As I was setting my settings I looked up and those pesky clouds started moving in on my moon! My eternal optmism kept me from packing up as I stood there almost shivering. I waited…and waited…and waited. It wasn’t until a few light sprinkles forced me to give up and retreat inside the house. Facebook called out to me and I announced my defeat. I then found myself chatting and texting with friends as we all kept checking to see if the clouds were clearing. A friend in Reno Nevada had clear skies and described what she saw. I was jealous. We won’t be seeing another Lunar Eclipse untl April 15, 2014.

I love the Pacific Northwest, really I do.