APOD: Lightning Eclipse from the Planet of... (2021 May 24)

[APOD Robot]

Lightning Eclipse from the Planet of the Goats

Explanation: Thunderstorms almost spoiled this view of the spectacular 2011 June 15 total lunar eclipse. Instead, storm clouds parted for 10 minutes during the total eclipse phase and lightning bolts contributed to the dramatic sky. Captured with a 30-second exposure the scene also inspired one of the more memorable titles (thanks to the astrophotographer) in APOD's now 25-year history. Of course, the lightning reference clearly makes sense, and the shadow play of the dark lunar eclipse was widely viewed across planet Earth in Europe, Africa, Asia, and Australia. The picture itself, however, was shot from the Greek island of Ikaria at Pezi. That area is known as "the planet of the goats" because of the rough terrain and strange looking rocks. The next total lunar eclipse will occur on Wednesday.

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[Ann]

This APOD is a repeat, I'm sure, but it doesn't matter, because it is a spectacular image. What I like best about it is that it "puts the Moon in perspective". Normally the (full or gibbous or at least half) Moon looks so brilliantly bright in the sky that it dominates everything, and you - or at least I - can't help feeling that it is "big". I know how big it really is compared to the Earth, and I know that it is actually small in the sky, but it "feels" big.

But when it's eclipsed, and we can see a lot of bright sky features around it, it suddenly seems "small". I once saw a picture of the deeply orange eclipsed Moon right smack in the Milky Way in Sagittarius, and it was a wide-angle view. I didn't read the caption before looking at the picture - yes, there is the Lagoon Nebula, the Trifid Nebula, the Large Sagittarius Star Cloud, the Small Sagittarius Star Cloud, the Teapot and.... what's that small orange blob over there? It was the eclipsed Moon. It was shockingly small and faint.

A lunar eclipse in a lightning storm with Antares and upper Scorpius peeking out to the right. Photo: Chris Kotsiopoulos.

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Upper Scorpius with red supergiant Antares in a yellow reflection nebula, surrounded by mostly blue young stars. Photo: Alan Dyer.

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So I really appreciate seeing the small eclipsed orange Moon in a dramatic landscape of clouds and flashes of lightning! Tell me one thing, though. What are the bright stars to the right of the Moon in the APOD?

Okay, I found it: The arrowhead shape closest to the Moon is yellowish Antares, flanked by bluish (but white-looking) Tau and Sigma Scorpii. And then there are other stars belonging to upper Scorpius to the right of these three stars.

Great APOD!

Ann

[heehaw]

Very apposite comment, Ann! Moon schmoon!

[JohnD]

Ummmmmmmmmm? " The next total lunar eclipse will occur on Wednesday"?
Total only over most of the Pacific, Australia and New Zealand!

http://astro.ukho.gov.uk/eclipse/1112021/L2021May26.pdf
JOhn

[orin stepanek]

Beautiful Photo; Kudos to Chris Kotsiopoulos!

I'd like to see that Mustang do this! That horse raised by goats!

[Chris Peterson]

Ummmmmmmmmm? " The next total lunar eclipse will occur on Wednesday"?
Total only over most of the Pacific, Australia and New Zealand!

http://astro.ukho.gov.uk/eclipse/1112021/L2021May26.pdf
JOhn

Total right here in Colorado. And over much of North America.

[JohnD]

Chris,
Then I misunderstand the chart from the UK Hydrographic Office!
Appears to show a partial eclipse east of the Californian coast and west of Java. What do the contours mean, then?

Totally misses Europe, of course!
John

[Chris Peterson]

Chris,
Then I misunderstand the chart from the UK Hydrographic Office!
Appears to show a partial eclipse east of the Californian coast and west of Java. What do the contours mean, then?

Totally misses Europe, of course!
John

The eclipse is total over much of North America. The only limitation is that it can't be seen in its entirety, because it will set before the end.

[illexsquid]

I love this title, and I am thinking of submitting to the IAU that we rename Earth to "Planet of the Goats".

[De58te]

The eclipse is total over much of North America. The only limitation is that it can't be seen in its entirety, because it will set before the end.

Not for us at the north eastern coast of America. The Lunar eclipse map shows that only a penumbral eclipse will be seen. That means the eclipse is soo dim hardly anybody but experts notice it. The entire eclipse will be seen on the west coast of America, Hawaii, New Zealand and most of eastern Australia.

[Chris Peterson]

The eclipse is total over much of North America. The only limitation is that it can't be seen in its entirety, because it will set before the end.

Not for us at the north eastern coast of America. The Lunar eclipse map shows that only a penumbral eclipse will be seen. That means the eclipse is soo dim hardly anybody but experts notice it. The entire eclipse will be seen on the west coast of America, Hawaii, New Zealand and most of eastern Australia.

I pretty much write off as uninteresting everything east of the Rockies... ;-)

[Ann]

The eclipse is total over much of North America. The only limitation is that it can't be seen in its entirety, because it will set before the end.

Not for us at the north eastern coast of America. The Lunar eclipse map shows that only a penumbral eclipse will be seen. That means the eclipse is soo dim hardly anybody but experts notice it. The entire eclipse will be seen on the west coast of America, Hawaii, New Zealand and most of eastern Australia.

I pretty much write off as uninteresting everything east of the Rockies...

Hey, Chris, ornery of late?

"Don't call me Shirley" and "I pretty much write off as uninteresting everything east of the Rockies..."

Click to play embedded YouTube video.

(Admittedly the guy singing the song should take his own advice, if that's him in the picture - but I guess that's not him!)

Ann