Solar Eclipse

While most residents of the Americas were fast asleep, dedicated observers were up all night to witness the total lunar eclipse of December 21, 2010. The event marked the first time our Moon passed through Earth's shadow on the same date as the winter solstice in 372 years.

The eclipse as seen from Denton, Texas.

John Love

Though New England was shrouded beneath an impenetrable cloud deck, amateurs as close as New York State were treated to glimpses of the event. Long time contributor Joe Rao reports "Probably the prettiest view came a few minutes after totality at around 3:56 a.m. To the naked eye, the Moon resembled Mars . . . the part of the Moon outside of the umbra appeared like the northern polar cap, while the rest of the Moon glowed a soft ruddy color, transitioning at the lower limb to a flat gray. For a Danjon estimate, I would place it closer to L = 2."