How To View A Lunar Eclipse

by Tony on February 18th, 2008

Oh yes, it’s time for a lunar eclipse. February 20th, 2008 to be precise.
Illustration Credit: NASA

In the interest of helping those who may not be familiar with the night sky, I hope this post will serve are your guide to observing a lunar eclipse.

As luck would have it, there is a lunar eclipse on February 20th, 2007 and I want you to be prepared.

Oh sure, it may seem easy, but how many have you actually gone out and observed? That’s what I thought.

So, since I am a blogger, which by definition means that I think I know more than you do, I offer the following steps for viewing a lunar eclipse.

Go to this webpage and learn when (or if) it’s going to be happening where you live.
Go to this webpage if you don’t know what the hell I’m talking about.
On the night in question, go outside at an appropriate time. Actually, you can go out anytime you want, I’m not trying to run your life, you just may not see the eclipse. Like, don’t go out in the daytime and expect to see it.
Here’s the hard part, this will require the most concentration and effort on your part.

Open the door to your house (I know it’s dark out there, and more than a little scary, but you can do this)
Walk outside
Look up
Find the moon (you may need a chart to help you, but here’s a hint: it’s that huge white disk about the width of your thumb held at arm’s length). You may have to squint.
Look at it

The following things are optional, but may be necessary in your locale:

Yell at your neighbor to turn off his f*@king light so you can see it better.
Yell at your neighbor to get off his ass and come outside to check out this spectacular event. He may be seeing if he can record it on his TiVO, assure him that he can’t.
Open a hot chocolate stand in your cul de sac and sell it for $3.00 per cup. You can also offer Irish Coffee (you may find that sells better and gets more people out of their houses).
The afternoon before, go into your neighbors’ backyard, take their lawn furniture, then rent it back to them that night so they can have a comfortable seat. Remember, it’s dark and they won’t recognize it’s theirs till the next day.
Play Jarre in the background on a boombox or iPod.
Have fun. Sometimes I have to remind people to do that. Weird.

Well, that about covers it, now you’ll be able to enjoy the lunar eclipse like a professional.

See? Astronomy you can use…

b5media.com