July 11, 2011
The universe is under no obligation to make sense to us, and yet here you are — a collection of atoms that somehow learned to think, to...
A Total Lunar Eclipse Over Tajikistan
Birthday · July 11, 2011
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APOD published July 11, 2011 · Video still. Credit: Jean-Luc Dauvergne (Ciel et Espace); Music: Val�re Leroy & Sophie Huet (Space-Music). A publication-date match, not a photo taken on your date. Independent of NASA.
If the full Moon suddenly faded, what would you see? The answer during the total lunar eclipse last month was recorded in a dramatic time lapse video from Tajikistan. During a total lunar eclipse, the Earth moves between the Moon and the Sun, causing the moon to fade dramatically. The Moon never gets completely dark, though, since the Earth's atmosphere refracts some light. As the above video begins, the scene may appear to be daytime and sunlit, but actually it is a nighttime and lit by the glow of the full Moon. As the moon becomes eclipsed and fades, the wind dies down and background stars can be seen reflected in foreground lake. Most spectacularly, the sky surrounding the eclipsed moon suddenly appears to be full of stars and highlighted by the busy plane of our Milky Way Galaxy. The sequence repeats with a closer view, and the final image shows the placement of the eclipsed Moon near the Eagle, Swan, Trifid, and Lagoon nebulas. Nearly two hours after the eclipse started, the moon emerges from the Earth's shadow and its bright full glare again dominates the sky.
Image credit: Jean-Luc Dauvergne (Ciel et Espace); Music: Val�re Leroy & Sophie Huet (Space-Music)