Friday, March 14

People across the Americas were treated to a spectacular total lunar eclipse last night, turning the moon a bright red in what is known as a 'blood moon.'

A lunar eclipse is when the Earth passes directly between the Moon and the Sun, and it always occurs on a full moon night because of the Moon's positioning behind Earth. The Moon's orbit around Earth is tilted by approximately 5 degrees, but that tilt slowly rotates. Because of this, every two to three years, a total lunar eclipse occurs.

During a total eclipse, the Moon turns completely red, giving it the nickname 'blood moon.' This is because the sunlight that usually bounces off a full moon is being blocked by Earth, so the only light that reaches the Moon are the waves that travel through Earth's atmosphere. However, the atmosphere is full of particles and dust that block the shorter wavelengths, leaving just red -- the longest wavelength -- to travel onward the moon.

Lunar eclipses are also very unlike solar eclipses. Solar eclipses occur during the day and require special goggles to see, preventing eye damage. Lunar eclipses can be seen with the naked eye, as it is a reflection of the Sun's light. In addition, solar eclipses only occur in extremely specific areas, making them more rare. Lunar eclipses can be seen by virtually anyone on that side of the planet, making them more visible to the public. Nevertheless, many lunar eclipses go unseen due to the fact that they are at extremely late or extremely early hours-- this year's eclipse peaked at 2:59 am EDT.

Last night's eclipse was visible across the Americas-- everywhere from Canada and the United States down to Chile and Argentina. It was partially visible in places like New Zealand, Western Africa, and Europe's Iberian Peninsula, but people who were able to get a view of the full eclipse were treated to a beautiful sight. Totality began at 2:26 am EDT and continued for over an hour, with the eclipse peaking at 2:59 am.

It was the first total lunar eclipse since the last one on November 8, 2022, but it is just the first of several others that will come in the following years. Later this year, there will be a lunar eclipse on September 7, which can be seen from Asia and Western Australia, and another one will occur on March 2, 2026 across the Pacific Ocean.

Fact of the Day (Reader's Digest): One study conducted in 2017 by the Innovation Center for US Dairy found that 7% of the American population believes that chocolate milk comes from brown cows. While this statistic may only seem mildly staggering at first, the truth is that 7% of the American population is equivalent to around 23.8 million people.

Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): I love to win. But I love to lose almost as much. I love the thrill of victory, and I also love the challenge of defeat. (Lou Gehrig)

Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Curfew (noun, KER-fyoo) - Curfew refers to a law or order that requires people to be indoors after a certain time at night, as well as to the period of time when such an order or law is in effect. Chiefly in the United States, curfew is also used to refer to the time set by a parent or caregiver at which a child has to be back home after going out.

In a Sentence: No one is allowed on the streets during the curfew.