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Lunar Eclipse On May 15-16

Sayten241 writes "MSNBC reports that on the night of May 15-16 skywatchers in the U.S., Europe and Africa will be able to witness the moon be completely eclipsed by the Earth's shadow. The show starts at 9:45 pm ET but starts getting good around 10:03 pm ET. The next Lunar eclipse will be on Nov 8-9 this year."

20 comments

  1. Coincidence? by digerata · · Score: 4, Funny

    Is it coincidence that the Matrix Reloaded is coming to theatres on the 15th? I think not!

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    1. Re:Coincidence? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      "We know that it was *us* who scorched the moon. It was believed that they would be unable to survive without an energy source as abundant as moonlight."

  2. May 15th? by calumr · · Score: 1

    I think most of us will be doing something else on the 15th

  3. When photographing a lunar eclipse . . . by aoteoroa · · Score: 5, Informative

    remember that you do not need a long exposure time. Of course you will need a really long lens.

    The first time I photographed the moon I tried long exposure times, in the range of 2-8 seconds when the film returned the moon was a bright white blob with no detail. The moon is basically a rock that is being hit by direct sunlight and to get a good exposure you need to expose your film as if you were shooting a snapshot on a bright sunny day.

    One guideline I find helpful is the "Sunny 16 rule": For a subject in direct sunlight set your f-stop to 16, and your shutter speed to closely match the speed of your film. Eg ISO 200 and shutter speed of 1/250.

    1. Re:When photographing a lunar eclipse . . . by TrollArtist · · Score: -1, Troll

      Fuck you! FUCK YOU!

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    2. Re:When photographing a lunar eclipse . . . by PD · · Score: 2, Informative

      Remember that the moon's color is very very dark. It reflects less light than a black chalkboard. Think about how bright it looks, and realize just how bright sunlight is in space.

      I've taken eclipse exposures, and I can concur with the other article. You don't need long exposures, but you do need a nice long lens if you've got it.

    3. Re:When photographing a lunar eclipse . . . by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

      Oh my, that was so ... ARTISTIC!

  4. Truly... by Tuxinatorium · · Score: 3, Funny

    Truly, this must be a sign from Allah condemning the wicked infidel movie Matrix Reloaded. Keanu Reeves should be hit with shoes! -- Iraqi Information Minister, Mohammed Saeed Al-Sahaf

    1. Re:Truly... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      funny

  5. More Information by FreeMath · · Score: 4, Informative

    More information, including a map of where the eclipse is visible, can be found here
    It also has details for future eclipses.

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    1. Re:More Information by Negadecimal · · Score: 1

      More information, including a map of where the eclipse is visible

      i.e. it's visible pretty much everywhere where it's dark around 10pm ET.

  6. May 15? by Thing+1 · · Score: -1, Redundant

    Nobody's going to watch this eclipse. We'll all be busy at the premiere of Matrix Reloaded.

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  7. Double exposure by mlush · · Score: 2, Informative
    One guideline I find helpful (for photographing the moon)is the "Sunny 16 rule": For a subject in direct sunlight set your f-stop to 16, and your shutter speed to closely match the speed of your film. Eg ISO 200 and shutter speed of 1/250.

    There is also the loony f4 rule for shooting fullmoon lit landscapes. Set the aperture to f/4 and open the shutter for 1/ASA days. ie 100 speed film =1/100*24*60 ~ 15 minutes. Shoot a landscape 1/3rd + 2/3rds sky without the moon, then double expose with the eclipsed moon somewhere in the sky

  8. Hmm Matrix releases that night! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Redundant

    Come out the theater then observe a Lunar Eclipse. Cool Geeks everywhere unite!

  9. The truth... by mraymer · · Score: 3, Funny

    There is no moon! ;)

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    "To confine our attention to terrestrial matters would be to limit the human spirit." -Stephen Hawking

  10. Cultural Bias? by pythorlh · · Score: 1, Interesting

    Why is it that Africa and Europe are mentioned, when all of Europe and most of Africa will only be able to see part of the eclipse, at moon-set; but South America is not mentioned at all, when most of South America will be able to see the entire eclipse, weather permitting?

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    1. Re:Cultural Bias? by damiangerous · · Score: 1
      The second sentence of the article itself actually reads, "...skywatchers across most of the Americas, Europe and Africa..."

      It goes on later to say, "The total phase of the upcoming event will be visible across much of North America, all of South America, as well as central and western Europe and most of Africa (except the extreme eastern part)."

      The submitter is merely an idiot.

    2. Re:Cultural Bias? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      plus when thay said "the Americas" thay probly didn't mean all fifty of them

  11. The "Moon": A Ridiculous Liberal Myth by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Flamebait
    It amazes me that so many allegedly "educated" people have fallen so quickly and so hard for a fraudulent fabrication of such laughable proportions. The very idea that a gigantic ball of rock happens to orbit our planet, showing itself in neat, four-week cycles -- with the same side facing us all the time -- is ludicrous. Furthermore, it is an insult to common sense and a damnable affront to intellectual honesty and integrity. That people actually believe it is evidence that the liberals have wrested the last vestiges of control of our public school system from decent, God-fearing Americans (as if any further evidence was needed! Daddy's Roommate? God Almighty!)

    Documentaries such as Enemy of the State have accurately portrayed the elaborate, byzantine network of surveillance satellites that the liberals have sent into space to spy on law-abiding Americans. Equipped with technology developed by Handgun Control, Inc., these satellites have the ability to detect firearms from hundreds of kilometers up. That's right, neighbors .. the next time you're out in the backyard exercising your Second Amendment rights, the liberals will see it! These satellites are sensitive enough to tell the difference between a Colt .45 and a .38 Special! And when they detect you with a firearm, their computers cross-reference the address to figure out your name, and then an enormous database housed at Berkeley is updated with information about you.

    Of course, this all works fine during the day, but what about at night? Even the liberals can't control the rotation of the Earth to prevent nightfall from setting in (only Joshua was able to ask for that particular favor!) That's where the "moon" comes in. Powered by nuclear reactors, the "moon" is nothing more than an enormous balloon, emitting trillions of candlepower of gun-revealing light. Piloted by key members of the liberal community, the "moon" is strategically moved across the country, pointing out those who dare to make use of their God-given rights at night!

    Yes, I know this probably sounds paranoid and preposterous, but consider this. Despite what the revisionist historians tell you, there is no mention of the "moon" anywhere in literature or historical documents -- anywhere -- before 1950. That is when it was initially launched. When President Josef Kennedy, at the State of the Union address, proclaimed "We choose to go to the moon", he may as well have said "We choose to go to the weather balloon." The subsequent faking of a "moon" landing on national TV was the first step in a long history of the erosion of our constitutional rights by leftists in this country. No longer can we hide from our government when the sun goes down.

  12. Inconstant Moon by Caractacus+Potts · · Score: 1

    The phrase "inconstant moon" appears next to the picture in the linked article. If you've read the classic Asimov short story with the same title, this is the last thing you'd want to see. Go read it.