Lunar Eclipse

Early this morning was a total eclipse of the moon, visible (sort of) from our farm. I woke up every half hour during the night, worried that I would miss the 5 a.m. show. The show actually started much earlier but I was content to just see the total eclipse... when the moon turns red. ... (If, as it turned out, you are under clear skies.)

Johnny slept peacefully until the bathroom called: at 4:30. He insisted I get up then or I'd miss the totality as it would only be completely covered for five minutes. So I got up.

At least this time when he woke me early, it was for a good cause. On April 1st he woke me at 2 in the morning shouting, "Get up! Two more spectacular flowers have opened in the greenhouse!" Sleepy as I was, I knew that was a bald-faced lie. And it was April Fool's Day.

This time it was April 4 and Full Moon Eclipse day. I took my camera out into the cold and took these photos. There was some fog in the air so the moon was a bit cloudy. And I didn't use a tripod so my camera had to chase the moon all over the sky to find it each time. And my hands shook. And it was very cold outside. What my photos lack in quality, they make up for in quantity.


What we saw...                                                              What my photo program says was there...

4:32 a.m.

4:32 a.m.

 4:37 a.m.

4:37 a.m.

4:41 a.m.

4:41 a.m.

4:45 a.m.

4:45 a.m.

4:48 a.m.

4:48 a.m.

4:50 a.m.

4:50 a.m.

4:52 a.m.

4:52 a.m.

Then, I confess, I gave up and went into the house and watched the eclipse unfold live from Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles. And I took photos of the screen. At last, the moon looked red, as it was supposed to (with a little fog from my camera lens after I came in from the cold outdoors).

total lunar eclipse 5 a.m.

5:03 a.m.

5:21 a.m., coming out of the shadow

After I could see the moon again through a window in our house, I went back outside. My photo program could not see it any better than we could. Fog had moved in.

5:35 a.m.

And it was still cold... and getting colder...

Back inside from Griffith...

6:20 a.m.

By then, it was getting light outside. The show was over.

Next total lunar eclipse on the west coast will be in September. Here's hoping for clear skies.