It was a very cold morning in Thornton as the temperature dropped to 15° but the fog that was forecast never materialized and we had a great view of the lunar eclipse. Just before dawn the Earth’s shadow began to encroach on the moon and just as the eclipse was peaking, the moon set behind the Rocky Mountains.
- View images of the lunar eclipse as seen from Barr Lake State Park below
Fog in Denver was feared to be a threat for viewing this morning’s total lunar eclipse but Mother Nature cooperated and provided clear Colorado skies. Not long before dawn the celestial show began and those who were able to witness it saw something that we won’t have an opportunity to see again until 2014.
NASA had called the lunar eclipse a ‘super-sized’ event due to its low placement on the horizon which tricks the mind and eye to thinking the moon is larger than it normally is. With our only natural satellite setting in the west, Coloradoans were able to view the eclipse just as the moon set behind the Rocky Mountains.
The total lunar eclipse was visible across a large swath of the Earth. From east of the Rocky Mountains to Australia and to Asia, nearly half of the globe had a view of the event.
Heightening interest in the eclipse was the fact that it will be the last total lunar eclipse for nearly three years. The next one won’t occur until April 14, 2014. There will be a second one that year on October 8th. In 2015 there will also be two; one on April 4th and another on September 27th.
Beautiful pictures, Tony Hake! Thank you.