apocolypse not

Soooo, it turns out the world didn't end last night. The idea of a 'end of the world' dinner party was scuppered when I (a) got to Monday morning and realised that I didn't really feel like putting on a dinner party Tuesday night (granted Monday morning is a bad time to seek enthusiasm for...well, anything really), (b) I realised that the moon was rising in the East and that my balcony faces West (good for sunsets, but) and (c) Monday afternoon I was invited to Starman's house to watch the eclipse (including using the telescope!) So my plan slid from 'tentative' to 'not happening'.

I was actually a bit nervous about going, only because it was the first time I'd seen Starman outside of work. I also didn't know if I'd know anyone else there, and I'm shy enough to dread that initial stage of meeting people where you're 'making conversation' rather than just having it. I shouldn't have worried. Starman and his sister, who had also come to watch, were welcoming and easy-going and that settled a really comfortable mood over the whole gathering. Turned out to be a great night.

The eclipse was beautiful and inordinately mystical. The normally flat-looking disc seemed more 3-dimensional in the reddish glow as the eclipse happened. For those who are interested in such things: the reason the moon turns red instead of grey/black is because any light finding it from the Sun is first travelling through the Earth's atmosphere. The refracted light is red, hence the red glow on the moon. Anyway, here are some photos, this time NOT from the net, but actually taken last night (and hastily distributed by email this morning).





It begins.











The Earth's shadow moves progressively across the surface of the moon.











A reddish glow starts to spread across the moon.










Almost completely eclipsed.













The moon 'turns to blood'. Awesome, huh?