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The first total lunar eclipse to fall on the winter solstice in over 300 years is generating significant discussion from amateur astronomers – and the Twittersphere – in the lead up to Tuesday morning’s big cosmic show. The Moon will pass through the shadow of the Earth, blocking the sun’s rays from striking the Moon.

But online comment boards and Twitter feeds indicate that won’t be much of a problem. The lunar eclipse is a trending topic on Twitter, and countless users are writing about how they plan to stay up to watch as the Moon aligns with the stars of the Milky Way.

And, because watching rare lunar activity isn’t enough, NASA has set up a live feed of the eclipse, and a live chat. There’s also an iPhone app that can help users track movements and display the eclipse.

The next time a total lunar eclipse will fall on the winter solstice is not expected to occur until 2094.

~ cadged from The Globe and Mail

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Starting at 1:33 a.m. Eastern Standard Time Tuesday, the Winter Solstice Eclipse will cast an amber/red shadow over the moon, rather than an entirely black shadow that will block out the moon The eclipse is considered full at 2:41 a.m. Eastern Standard Time on Tuesday, Dec. 21. The best view of the full eclipse will be about 3:17 a.m. EST on the Winter Solstice. The last time the Winter Solstice saw a lunar eclipse was in 1378, 632 years ago.

~ cadged from Personal Money Store

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More info about Winter Solstice