Loonie about lunar eclipses

Despite the threatening clouds, many braved the uncharacteristically cold December temperatures to watch the  spectacular sight of the total lunar eclipse last Saturday.

In what was the last full eclipse until 2014, the moon entered its darkest stage, or ‘totality’, as it turned a fiery orange for stargazers at Sydney’s Observatory in the Rocks at 1.06  m.

“The crowd is made up of a whole mix of people and these events always attract numbers to the observatory,” Emma Heath from the Sydney Observatory & Powerhouse Discovery Centre said.

The weather bureau warned that many Australians would miss out on witnessing the eclipse as heavy cloud rolled in and blanketed the night sky.

However, this was no deterrent to the young couples, families and star-gazing enthusiasts who turned their eyes skyward to the astronomical show. And for those people with no astronomy background, the Sydney Observatory had its  astronomers at hand to enlighten them on the science behind the red moon.

“The eclipse is at totality because the light of the sun is bending through the Earth’s atmosphere,” Dr Andrew Jacob, acting curator of the Sydney Observatory said. “However, the blue light is being scattered out by the molecules in the atmosphere so only the red light gets through and illuminates the moon.”

According to Dr Jacob, an eclipse is more than just an optical show; it   can  rovide scientists with information on the potential for life on other planets.

“With an eclipse, we can look at the way light from the sun is affected as it passes through the Earth’s atmosphere and shows on the moon,” he said. “Then we  an use that information to understand what’s happening as the light passes through another planet’s atmosphere.

“If this planet and its atmosphere is in the habitable zone [around another solar system] then you could start thinking, is there life on that planet?”

According to Dr Jacob, this form of star gazing requires the technology of the James Webb Space Telescope, which is located 1.5 million kilometres from Earth.

However, even without this infrared technology, Adelaide Planetarium lecturer, Paul Curnow, said Eclipses had long been associated with information; particularly mythological celebration and omens.

“The Ge Indians of Brazil believe that eclipses are a result of a battle between the sun and the moon,” he said. “They believe that the eye of the moon, or sometimes the sun, is pierced by a young boy who has shot them with an arrow, as a result, the wound bleeds and is symbolized by the moon turning a reddish-orange colour.”

So is there a place for mythology in the realm of science?

“People can have superstitions if they like but it doesn’t mean they’re true,” said Dr Jacob.

By Kristie Beattie