Something very unique is going to happen tonight - a lunar eclipse...over a full moon...on the winter solstice!!!
The winter solstice is already an important day - it is the shortest day of the year and was quite the holiday in ancient times. It went by many names but the idea was always the same - after this point, days would get longer and there was hope that spring (and more food) would come again. Typically, great festivals went along with the solstices but this one would have been even bigger. Why...
A full moon shining bright in the sky would have been something very special indeed. While occuring like clockwork every 28 days, a full moon aligning with a solstice is quite rare. Had this day happened in ancient times, though, the festivals would have been truly magnificent...
A lunar eclipse, being both rare and mysterious, would have been quite the event had it happened on a solstice. Surly the gods would have been up to something... So rare is it, infact, that it has only happened once since year 1...in 1638! We will only have to wait until 2094 for the next one, though :)
Get out and take a look in the wee hours. The show is expected to begin at about 11:30pm PST and 2:30am EST. I am crossing my fingers that all will be visible because here in the midwest we are expecting snow :(
Unless I live to 113, I might miss my only chance in life to see this wonder.
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