By Len Wallick
Tonight, there will be a total lunar eclipse for many, if not most reading these words. That will be the subject of today’s blog.
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Just hours later we will experience the Capricorn Solstice. That will be the subject of tomorrow’s blog, even though the two occurrences can rightly be considered one event for more than one reason.
From beginning to end, this eclipse will last for about three and a half hours. The totality in the middle will hold for over 70 minutes. Mid-eclipse will be about 3:13 am EDT. Weather permitting, the whole process will be visible in all of North and Central America, Greenland and Iceland. Those in South America, most of Australia, and parts of Europe, Africa and Asia will have the opportunity to see it either ending or beginning. The only folks totally left out will be those in East and South Africa, the Middle East and mid-South Asia. Better luck next time, Ms. Ardin.
Any total lunar eclipse is special in and of itself. It has been years since viewers in the United States have enjoyed a comparable experience. This particular one is also part of a long and complex series of special astrological events that have followed one another in close succession since Mercury entered Capricorn marking the threshold between November and December. As has been the case for several weeks, any confusion related to complexity can be overcome by breaking things down a bit.