Free Republic

This week, we all saw images on television screens of the solar eclipse that occurred on Wednesday. This was the longest eclipse the earth will see until 2136, which will likely be beyond most of our own lifetimes… unless my Fish Oil and CoQ10 work as I hope (!!!). I digress. When looking at the images at the NASA webpage, some are amazing, especially the one below. “Hinode is an international mission to study our nearest star, the sun. To accomplish this, the Hinode mission includes a suite of three science instruments — the Solar Optical Telescope, X-ray Telescope and...

Indian astrologers are predicting violence and turmoil across the world as a result of this week's total solar eclipse, which the superstitious and religious view as a sign of potential doom. But astronomers, scientists and secularists are trying to play down claims of evil portent in connection with Wednesday's natural spectacle, when the moon will come between the Earth and the sun, completely obscuring the sun. In Hindu mythology, the two demons Rahu and Ketu are said to "swallow" the sun during eclipses, snuffing out its life-giving light and causing food to become inedible and water undrinkable. Pregnant women are...

THE world's most populous nations will gaze skywards on Wednesday as the longest total solar eclipse of the 21st Century lays a carpet of darkness across India and China, from Mumbai to Shanghai. The event is being hyped in the obscure world of eclipse-chasers as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity which, due to its trajectory over some of the most densely inhabited areas on Earth, could end up being the most-watched eclipse in history. The American astrophysicist and acclaimed eclipse expert Fred Espenak has simply labelled the July 22 event "a monster". Total solar eclipses occur when the moon comes between the...

The total solar eclipse of July 22 2009 will be visible across south-east Asia and the western Pacific. This will be a spectacular total eclipse, lasting over 6½ minutes at maximum and visible to millions of people over a path up to 258 km wide. The total eclipse begins just off the coast of India at 00:51:17 UT on July 22, and ends in Polynesia at 04:19:26 UT on July 22. The maximum eclipse is at 02:35:21 UT on July 22, when the total phase will last a stunning 6 minutes and 39 seconds. The partial eclipse will be visible...

About 24 hours from now, the crescent moon will occult Venus. The event will be visible from the western part of the US. If conditions are right, it could be an interesting event!

Friday, August 1 is a red-letter day for eclipse enthusiasts. On that date, the sun will be partially eclipsed over an immense area that includes western and central Asia, parts of northern and central Europe, all of Greenland and even a small slice of northeastern North America. A total solar eclipse — the first in nearly two and a half years — will be visible along a narrow track that will start over the Northwest Passage of Canada, gives a glancing blow to northern Greenland, then shifts southeast through Siberia and western Mongolia and before ending near the famed Silk...

The exact date when the Greeks used the Trojan horse to raze the city of Troy has been pinpointed for the first time using an eclipse mentioned in the stories of Homer, it was claimed today. # The truth about an epic tale of love, war and greed Scientists have calculated that the horse was used in 1188 BC, ten years before Homer in his Odyssey describes the return of a warrior to his wife on the day the "sun is blotted out of the sky". The legend of the fall of Troy is mentioned in Virgil and Homer's poems...

Ancient Eclipse Found in "The Odyssey," Scientists SayRichard A. Lovett for National Geographic NewsJune 23, 2008 "The sun has perished out of heaven, and an evil mist has overspread the world." With those words in The Odyssey, Homer laid down not a prophecy of doom but a description of a real-world total solar eclipse, scientific sleuths announced today. It has been known for decades that there was only one such eclipse during the time period Homer wrote about in the ancient Greek poem—on April 16, 1178 B.C. The blackout even occurred at noon, as described in the epic poem. But...

Eclipsed Moonlight Credit & Copyright: Jerry Lodriguss (Catching the Light) Explanation: Moon watchers blessed with clear skies over the Americas, Europe, Africa and western Asia enjoyed a total lunar eclipse this week. Catching eclipsed moonlight, astroimager Jerry Lodriguss offers this view of the inspiring celestial event with the shadowed Moon accompanied by wandering planet Saturn at the left, and bright Regulus, alpha star of the constellation Leo, above. The engaging composite picture was made by combining a filtered, telephoto image of the Moon and surrounding starfield with a telescopic exposure. The combination dramatizes the reddened moonlight while clearly showing...

Two papers. Two photographers. Infinite possibilities. Almost the exact same picture. "Of all the places we could have photographed during those many hours, we happened to photograph the exact same thing," said P-I photographer Josh Trujillo, who snapped a photo of an airplane passing in front of the darkened moon that was featured on the front page of the P-I's local section today

Just took this with my video camera. Anyone else have any cool pics from tonight's eclipse with Saturn in tow?

LOS ANGELES - The last total lunar eclipse until 2010 occurs Wednesday night, with cameo appearances by Saturn and the bright star Regulus on either side of the veiled full moon. Skywatchers viewing through a telescope will have the added treat of seeing Saturn's handsome rings. Weather permitting, the total eclipse can be seen from North and South America. People in Europe and Africa will be able to see it high in the sky before dawn on Thursday. As the moonlight dims — it won't go totally dark — Saturn and Regulus will pop out and sandwich the moon. Regulus...

The Moon will turn an eerie shade of red for people in the western hemisphere late Wednesday and early Thursday, recreating the eclipse that saved Christopher Columbus more than five centuries ago. In a lunar eclipse, the Sun, Earth and Moon are directly aligned and the Moon swings into the cone of shadow cast by the Earth. But the Moon does not become invisible, as there is still residual light that is deflected towards it by our atmosphere. Most of this refracted light is in the red part of the spectrum and as a result the Moon, seen from Earth,...

February 20th's Eclipse of the Moon All of the Americas will have ringside seats . . . weather permitting. by Alan M. MacRobert Find out more about this eclipse, including observing projects you can do with a telescope or your unaided eye, in Sky & Telescope's February issue. The last sunlit rim of the Moon was about to slip into the Earth's red shadow when Sean Walker of Sky & Telescope magazine took this picture on Aug. 28, 2007. It's easy to take good eclipse shots. Use a long lens and a tripod for your camera if you have an SLR,...

The Hollywood writers' strike may be over, but perhaps the best prime-time show this Wednesday night is in the sky: a total lunar eclipse. The moon will be completely submerged in Earth's shadow from 10:01 to 10:51 p.m. ET. "It's very well placed for the U.S.," said Fred Espenak, an astrophysicist and eclipse expert at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. The celestial spectacle is visible throughout the Americas as well as during the wee hours of Thursday morning in Europe, most of Africa, and western Asia. All told, well over a billion people will have the...

On the night of Feb. 20, the full moon will pass into Earth's shadow in an event that will be visible across all of the United States and Canada. The total lunar eclipse will be made even more striking by the presence of the nearby planet Saturn and the bright bluish star, Regulus. Eclipses in the distant past often terrified viewers who took them as evil omens. Certain lunar eclipses had an overwhelming effect on historic events. One of the most famous examples is the trick pulled by Christopher Columbus.

DENVER - The Earth's shadow will creep across the moon's surface early Tuesday, slowly eclipsing it and turning it shades of orange and red. The total lunar eclipse, the second this year, will be visible in North and South America, especially in the West. People in the Pacific islands, eastern Asia, Australia and New Zealand also will be able to view it if skies are clear. People in Europe, Africa or the Middle East, who had the best view of the last total lunar eclipse in March, won't see this one because the moon will have set when the eclipse...

During the early morning hours of Aug. 28, astronomers say sky watchers around much of the world will be able to watch as the moon crosses the Earth's shadow, becoming completely immersed for nearly 90 -- a much longer period of time than occurs during most lunar eclipses. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration said the event will begin 3:54 a.m. EDT, Aug. 28. The eclipse will be visible from Australia, parts of Asia and most of the Americas but not from Africa or Europe, NASA astronomers said. The view is different from each location. In the United States, Pacific...

Presenting the Eclipse Concept Jet (ECJ), a single-engine four-place aircraft created by Eclipse Aviation as the ultimate tool for evaluating the emerging single-engine jet marketplace.

A speedy gas cloud has allowed astronomers to probe closer than ever before to a supermassive black hole, confirming ideas about how these formidable objects can generate vast quantities of X-rays and other radiation. The black hole is thought to lie at the heart of a galaxy called NGC 1365, around 60 million light years away. NGC 1365 is a relatively nearby example of a galaxy with an active nucleus – a small, intensely bright spot at its core. These active galactic nuclei are among the brightest objects in the universe.

LONDON - The moon darkened, reddened, and turned shades of gray and orange Saturday night during the first total lunar eclipse in nearly three years, thrilling stargazers and astronomers around the world. The Earth's shadow took over six hours to crawl across the moon's surface, eating it into a crescent shape before engulfing it completely in a spectacle at least partly visible on every continent. About a dozen amateur astronomers braved the cold and mud outside the Croydon Observatory in southeast London to watch the start of the eclipse. "It's starting to go!" said Alex Gikas, 8, a Cub Scout...

The moon will turn shades of amber and crimson Saturday night as it passes behind the Earth's shadow in the first total lunar eclipse in three years. The eclipse will be at least partly visible from Asia to the Americas, although those in Europe, Africa and the Middle East will have the best view. Lunar eclipses occur when Earth passes between the sun and the moon, blocking the sun's light. The event is rare because the moon spends most of its time either above or below the plane of Earth's orbit. Although it will pass completely under Earth's shadow, light...

A tiny moon has been caught floating in front of Uranus for the first time, the Hubble Space Telescope reveals. The moon's shadow can also be seen on the planet's cloud tops, creating a solar eclipse on Uranus itself. Hubble imaged the event unexpectedly in July 2006, during a set of observations meant to study the planet's clouds. "When we first got this image back, we looked at it and said, 'What's that bright spot and that dark spot?'" says team member Heidi Hammel of the Space Science Institute in Boulder, Colorado, US. "We thought, it must be a problem...

ANN REALTIME REPORTING 07.27.06 1315 EDT: It's official! The very first VLJ to receive FAA certification is the Eclipse 500... as was announced moments ago at AirVenture 2006

A revolutionary and time-consuming project, one that literally reshapes the paradigm for light jet transportation, is proving to be just a tad more time-consuming (like most revolutions are) than its adherents had hoped... Eclipse Aviation has confirmed for ANN that it expects to achieve FAA certification of the Eclipse 500 jet in the next few weeks, but not (as hoped) within the next few days. While the company was anticipating FAA certification in late June, the thorny issue of continued supplier delays have pushed the schedule back. "We are on the verge of achieving FAA certification, and are thrilled...

GIZA, Egypt (Reuters) - Balancing on his head in the shadow of the ancient pyramids of Giza, a Dutch visitor tries to connect to the spiritual forces he says are swirling around the monuments during Wednesday's solar eclipse. "The eclipse is a special moment in time and the shape of the pyramids attracts a universal energy spiral," Robin, who did not give his full name, said after meditating at the foot of the largest of the pharaonic mausoleums in the desert outside Cairo.

On March 29, 2006, a total solar eclipse will occur when the new moon moves directly between the sun and the earth. The moon’s shadow will fall on the eastern tip of Brazil, speed eastward across the Atlantic, through northern Africa, across the Mediterranean, and into Turkey, where an Exploratorium team will be waiting. Our crew will transmit a live eclipse Webcast, as well as a telescope-only feed, from a Roman amphitheater in Side, Turkey. Weather permitting, we’ll witness the spectacular moment of totality, when the moon completely blocks the sun, and the sun’s glorious corona (the outer part...

It has been called the Sun-eating Dragon. The Spirit of the Dead. The Eye of God. A harbinger of great events, good and evil -- terrible famines, bumper harvests, wars, the birth and death of kings. On Wednesday, tens of millions of people will be treated to this spine-tingling celestial sight: a total eclipse of the Sun. At 0836 GMT, our moon will be perfectly aligned with our star, and the lunar shadow will alight on the tip of eastern Brazil. Racing eastwards across the Atlantic, the umbra will reach the coast of Ghana at 0908 GMT, then head across...

ABUJA (Reuters) - The Nigerian government, anxious to avoid a repeat of riots that marked a solar eclipse in 2001, warned citizens they may suffer "psychological discomfort" during a new eclipse this month but urged them not to panic. Information Minister Frank Nweke said an eclipse five years ago caused riots in northern Borno state because people did not know why it happened. "Some people even felt some evil people in their communities were responsible for the eclipse," he said in a statement on Thursday aimed at reassuring Nigerians that the eclipse is expected to darken parts of the country...

The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET) has advised Nigerians not to panic over the total solar eclipse which will take place on March 29. Agency reports quote NIMET's Director-General, Liwhu Akeh as saying that the advice was necessary to enlighten people about the eclipse, which will be total in five states. The five states are Oyo, Kwara, Niger, Zamfara and Katsina. According to the report, Akeh's advice was contained in a statement signed by NIMET spokeswoman, Eva Azinge and made available to newsmen in Abuja. He said the eclipse, which will start from North-East, Brazil to Europe through Africa, would take...

One of the most breathlessly anticipated revolutions in U.S. aviation is poised to take off in 2006, as new super-fast, relatively cheap airplanes called "very light jets" finally go into service. Thanks to breakthroughs in the performance of engines for small jets, along with better airplane manufacturing techniques...a new breed of aircraft for a new category of travel: jet-speed transportation between as many as 5,500 U.S. airports, in planes that cost as little as $1.5 million. That's a fraction of the price of today's private jets. Pending final certification by the Federal Aviation Administration this winter...Eclipse's six-seater E500 could be...

Prophecy on Pope Fulfilled by Eclipses? A 10th Century Irish bishop - St. Malachy - predicted every pope that would preside over the Catholic Church. Almost ten centuries ago, Malachy predicted this pope would be noted by an eclipse of the sun. In an eerie coincidence, John Paul II was the only known pope to be born on the day of a solar eclipse. But the prophetic link doesn't end there. Pope John Paul II will be buried this Friday during another solar eclipse. Astronomers say that on Friday, the day of the Pope's funeral, a partial solar eclipse will...

A rare eclipse of the sun will occur toward the end of the day Friday and forecasters said weather conditions should offer at least acceptable viewing of the celestial event. The forecast is for a partly cloudy sky and no rain, with the temperature Friday topping out in the lower 80s. The eclipse will begin in Victoria at about 4:14 p.m. and reach its peak at about 5:10 p.m. It should be over by about 6:03 p.m. Amateur astronomer K.B. Hallmark said that at the peak, about 35 percent of the sun will be covered by the moon. Local astronomers...

A 10th Century Irish bishop - St. Malachy - predicted every pope that would preside over the Catholic Church. Almost ten centuries ago, Malachy predicted this pope would be noted by an eclipse of the sun. In an eerie coincidence, John Paul II was the only known pope to be born on the day of a solar eclipse. But the prophetic link doesn't end there. Pope John Paul II will be buried this Friday during another solar eclipse. Astronomers say that on Friday, the day of the Pope's funeral, a partial solar eclipse will blot out most of the sun...

A POPE DESCRIBED AS 'FROM THE SUN' WAS BORN DURING ECLIPSE AND LEAVES WITH ONEHe was born during an eclipse (May 18, 1920) and there will be an eclipse, a rare type of partial eclipse, Friday (April 8) on the day of his burial. And so now eyes have turned more intently to an old prophecy attributed to the Irish monk St. Malachy O'Morgair -- who supposedly foresaw the entire succession of popes by using riddle-like nicknames, with the one fitting the 110th -- John Paul II -- being De Labore Solis, which means  "from the labor of the sun."Indeed,...

This eclipse will be seen as a partial eclipse from the southern half of the United States. More specifically, the eclipse will be visible from the USA south of a line extending across the nation from southernmost California to central New Jersey. No eclipse will be seen north of this line which is called the northern eclipse limit. The size or magnitude of the eclipse increases as one travels to the southeast of the northern eclipse limit.

Eclipse Aviation Completes Two Successful Flights of First Eclipse 500 Certification Flight Test Aircraft World’s only FAA conforming very light jet takes to the skies with two flights in one day

This photo-montage released by the European Space Agency shows a series of images taken with the AMIE camera on board SMART-1 during the second lunar total eclipse the spacecraft witnessed from space.(AFP/HO-ESA)

BOSTON -- (Reuters) Presidential Candidate John Kerry today took his campaign on a new tack, blaming President Bush for the disappearance of earth's moon last night. Earth's moon, traditionally called "the moon," went missing last night for several hours. "The moon, which hangs over Iraq, was clearly there after the president's misguided invasion. Then last night, it wasn't. President Bush failed to properly guard the moon. The moon wasn't even on his list of facilities important enough for even cursory protection." Kerry continued the assault, "He put the watch of the Moon behind protecting the offices of the Iraqi Oil...

At shortly after 9 p.m. this evening, the moon slowly disintegrated from the evening sky over the Eastern seaboard, disappearing entirely sometime after 10 p.m. Democrat presidential nominee John F. Kerry blamed Bush for the disappearance. "Earlier this evening, it was right there in the night sky." Kerry droned monotonously as he pumped a finger upward. "It vanished right under his nose -- or rather went over his head -- on his watch. Did the President notice as it was stolen away? And who is to say if it will be used against us at a later time, possibly creating...

The last eclipse of 2004 occurs on the evening of Wednesday, October 27 (in Europe, the eclipse occurs during the early morning hours of Thursday, October 28). This event is a total eclipse of the Moon which will be visible from North and South America as well as Europe, Africa and Antarctica. During such an eclipse, the Moon's disk can take on a dramatically colorful appearance from bright orange to blood red to dark brown and (rarely) very dark gray. An eclipse of the Moon can only take place at Full Moon, and only if the Moon passes through some...

Shaded moon will be last eclipse of 2004 PARIS (AFP) Oct 25, 2004 A total eclipse of the Moon will occur overnight Wednesday, an event that can turn Earth's satellite to a colourful shade ranging from deep red to dark brown and sometimes an existential grey. The phenomenon will be visible from North and South America, when it will be late Wednesday, as well as Europe and Africa, when it will be early Thursday, and Antarctica, astronomers said Monday. According to the US magazine Sky and Telescope, the eclipse will occur during Game 4 of baseball's World Series, when the...

At 8.45 on the morning of 15 April 136 BC, Babylon was plunged into darkness when the Moon passed in front of the Sun. An astrologer, who recorded the details in cuneiform characters on a clay tablet, wrote: "At 24 degrees after sunrise-a solar eclipse. When it began on the southwest side, Venus, Mercury and the normal stars were visible. Jupiter and Mars, which were in their period of disappearance, became visible. The Sun threw off the shadow from southwest to northeast." If present-day astronomers use a computer to run the movements of the Earth, Moon and Sun backwards...

Ancient Rome's fish pens confirm sea-level fears 09:30 16 August 04 Exclusive from New Scientist Print Edition. Subscribe and get 4 free issues. Coastal fish pens built by the Romans have unexpectedly provided the most accurate record so far of changes in sea level over the past 2000 years. It appears that nearly all the rise in sea level since Roman times has happened in the past 100 years, and is most likely the result of human activity. Sea-level change is a measure of the relative movement between land and sea surfaces. Tide-gauge records show that the sea level has...

Reworked images reveal hot Venus By Dr David Whitehouse Mars it is not: Reprocessed Venus image As the world looks at Mars, an American scientist has produced the best images ever obtained from the surface of a rather different planet - Venus. The second planet from the Sun is blanketed with a thick layer of cloud. Computer researcher Don Mitchell used original digital data from two Soviet Venera probes that landed in 1975. His reprocessed and recalibrated images provide a much clearer view of the Venusian surface which is hotter even than the inside of a household oven. Original digital...

A team of astronomer gumshoes has pinned down the date of an ancient Greek-Persian battle at Marathon that led to a long-distance run and the sport that survives today in its honor. Analysis of lunar records show the 490 B.C. battle occurred not on the long accepted date of September 12, but a full month earlier, researchers said. How important is a month for a professional runner more than 2,000 years ago? Apparently it's a matter of life and death. According the Greek historian Herodotus, Plutarch and others, after the Greek army routed their Persian attackers at Marathon the long-distance...

Astronomy Picture of the Day Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. 2004 May 25 Moon Between the Stones Credit & Copyright: Philip Perkins Explanation: Despite clouds and rain showers astronomer Phillip Perkins managed to spot a reddened, eclipsed Moon between the stones of this well known monument to the Sun during May's total lunar eclipse, from Stonehenge, England. When he recorded this dramatic picture, the rising Moon was only about 5 degrees above the horizon, but conveniently located through...

Astronomy Picture of the Day Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. 2004 May 8 Good Morning Sydney Credit & Copyright: Stephen Thorley Explanation: Rising before dawn on May 5th, Stephen Thorley looked out across the skyline of Sydney, Australia. And while a leisurely lunar eclipse was clearly in progress, from his vantage point on planet Earth the Moon set as the total phase of the eclipse began. Still, before the setting Moon was hidden by the cityscape he captured...

Astronomy Picture of the Day Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. 2004 May 6 A Lunar Eclipse Mosaic Credit & Copyright: Anthony Ayiomamitis Explanation: From start to finish, this impressive digital mosaic covers May 4th's total eclipse of the Moon. Astronomer Anthony Ayiomamitis reports that the eclipse viewing was wonderful from Greece, where skies cleared shortly before the celestial show began. His mosaic includes images, recorded at five minute intervals and arranged sequentially in an arc, that trace the...