It wasn’t as unusual as the solar eclipse of last summer, nor did it draw international attention. But this morning’s lunar eclipse was (or is) spectacular in its own right.
Therefore, at a time when political discord seems rampant, and the pundits are parsing Tuesday’s State of the Union address, and the nation is either at its nadir or returning to its apex — depending upon your perspective — it seems wholly appropriate to ponder the majesty of a total lunar eclipse. Because even editorial boards need a break from politics and social issues on occasion.
Therefore, we take a deep breath and try to return things to their proper perspective, remembering that humans are a miniscule portion of this vast galaxy. For all of our troubles and all of our concerns, the grandeur of a lunar eclipse provides reassurance that the universe will continue to turn as it has for billions of years.
So it is notable that, from the perspective of Vancouver, the moon spent the early hours of this morning passing through the shadow of Earth for a total lunar eclipse. From 2:51 a.m. to 7:39 a.m., our planet’s nearest celestial body disappeared into darkness (you can still catch the show if you are reading this first thing in the morning, which, by the way, we highly recommend).
This is a fairly infrequent occurrence, and this year’s eclipse is particularly notable. It accompanied the second full moon of the month, known as a “blue moon.” This marks the first time in 150 years that a blue moon has coincided with a lunar eclipse. To top it off, the moon right now is a “supermoon,” meaning it is bigger and brighter than average.
Meanwhile, the moon takes on a reddish hue during an eclipse. As Brian Resnick explains for Vox.com: “When sunlight passes through the atmosphere, the gases therein trap and scatter the blue light in the spectrum. The red, orange, and yellow wavelengths pass through into Earth’s shadow and get projected onto the moon.”
So, we have a blue moon, a supermoon and a blood red moon, all combining for a compelling science lesson. Along the way, it plays into humanity’s long-held fascination with the satellite that is trapped in the Earth’s orbit. We have idioms about “barking at the moon” and “the man in the moon” and being “over the moon,” and yet for most of human existence we knew little about that sphere that appears in the sky on a nightly basis.
For centuries, or perhaps millennia, the moon has inspired humanity’s quest for knowledge and exploration while playing a role in popular culture — even if we didn’t really believe it was made of cheese. Why, one of the landmarks in motion picture history was Georges Melies’ 1902 film “A Trip to the Moon,” reflecting our constant fascination with the orb. And when the United States landed people on the moon for the first time in 1969, it was what is still regarded as one of history’s great achievements.
Even an eclipse reflects remarkable scientific advancements. Now, scientists can accurately predict when and where a lunar eclipse will be visible. For ancient civilizations that did not even understand what the moon was, that was not the case. As National Geographic wrote in 2014, “Many cultures view the disappearance of the moon as a time of danger and chaos.”
Not us. We tend to perceive danger and chaos in other everyday events. And, for a change, it is refreshing to set that aside and simply focus upon the wonder that is a lunar eclipse.
