Wall of Cold Front Approaching – Photo: L. Weikel

Update

Last night I wrote about tonight’s ‘special’ partial lunar eclipse and how it’s the longest lasting eclipse in 580 years. Well, I have an update with respect to just how unique this eclipse actually is. Not to put too fine a point on it, but the Earth won’t see another lunar eclipse that lasts as long as tonight’s until the year 2650. Seriously. That’s another 629 years. That means this is the longest lasting lunar eclipse for 1,209 years.

A mere blip on the geological and cosmic scales, but rather significant vis-à-vis humanity.

I’m planning on trying to stay awake at least until the eclipse process starts. I’d like to say I’ll stay up for the whole thing. And honestly, I’m a sucker for the prospect of witnessing a Full Blood Beaver Moon Eclipse, but I will almost assuredly fall asleep. The culmination of the eclipse will take place at 4:02 a.m. and it sounds like it will look amazing.

I wonder, though, if my iPhone would even be able to capture a fraction of its eerily stunning nature. Probably not.

OK.

Just as I wrote that sentence, my front door, usually dead-bolted shut, just blew open.

That happens rarely, but almost always on an evening of cosmic consequence.

Full Beaver Moon rising – Photo: L. Weikel

Current Status

Naturally, this caused me to rise from the couch to close the door. I walked outside and noticed that the entire hamlet is illuminated by a diffuse light emanating from behind the overcast that still obscures the moon and stars. This cold front barged into our area this evening after probably the last most exquisitely warm and nourishing days of 2021. I do believe it reached 70 degrees this afternoon.

Weather.com swears the clouds presently blanketing the sky will clear out by the time the eclipse begins. Technically, then, it appears the full passage of the moon into and through the shadow (umbra) caused by the Earth coming between it and the sun should be visible.

Nearly full Beaver Moon (last night) – Photo: L. Weikel

Last Night

I managed to snag a few photos of the moon blazing in nearly full reflected glory last night after I wrote my post for the evening. The rainbows in the halo surrounding the moon were visible to my naked eye, and I was pleased to see the iPhone’s camera captured them.

It’s interesting that some of my final posts in my 1111 Devotion are ‘devoted’ to looking upward. I don’t think we do that often enough.

(T-8)