Wednesday, February 20, 2008

UPDATE UPDATE: Rough waters in the Pacific may delay the US Navy's attempt to destroy spy satellite USA 193. According to press reports, an ASAT missile launch originally scheduled for Feb. 20th could be delayed 24 hours or more to improve the chances of a successful strike. Pilots and sailors have been advised to avoid a patch of ocean near Maui for the next five days (Feb. 21-25) around 5:30 p.m. Hawaii time when USA 193 is passing overhead. These represent potential launch windows.

UPDATE: Also keep on eye on the sky after 10:00 p.m. (CST) for debris from the Navy shooting a missile at the disabled spy satellite. Rumor has it they may shoot it down tonight.

Make sure you look at the lunar eclipse tonight. But don't freeze your balls off!

The partial eclipse will begin at 7:43 p.m. (CST) and the total eclipse will begin at 9:01 p.m. (CST) and last until 9:51 p.m.

Because some of the sunlight striking the Earth is diffused and scattered by our atmosphere, the Earth's shadow is not completely dark. Typically there are coppery red and orange hues cast over the moon at and near totality from sunlight refracted from our atmosphere around the edge of the Earth, giving the moon the appearance of an eerie glowing ball.

As a bonus, during the eclipse the moon will be situated, in our sky, near the planet Saturn and the bright bluish star Regulus in the constellation of Leo. The effect will be to create a uniquely beautiful triangle in the sky consisting of the totally eclipsed moon, a bright naked-eye planet and one of the 21 brightest stars in the sky.

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