Blood moon...

Night shift last night had me searching for the moon. I had heard that there was to be a lunar eclipse last night and excitedly told my co-worker of the fact. At 8.30 pm there we were searching the heavens for this unusual event. We were to be disappointed however as the event is not to occur until tonight. I don't think my co-worker believed me in the end as he hadn't heard anything about the impending lunar event. He looked at me as if I had lunar madness.

They are calling it a "blood moon" because the image of the moon appears red instead of it's customary silvery/white color. Apparently lunar eclipses happen somewhere around the world at least twice a year but the last time a total eclipse was visible from Australia's eastern states was in July 2000.

The eclipse will be full from 7.52pm (AEST) until 9.23pm (AEST), with the moon appearing red, because only the red component of sunlight will be diffracted around the earth onto its surface. All that remains to be seen tonight is if cloud cover will prevent observing it. Something to look forward to though, in an otherwise dreary night of money earning...