August Moons
Explanation:
This August was
eclipse season.
The month's first New Moon and Full Moon were both seen in
darkened skies during a
solar and lunar eclipse.
Blocking the Sun, the left panel's New
Moon was captured
during the total solar eclipse of August 1 from the path of
totality overlooking Novosibirsk (Siberia) Reservoir,
locally known as the Ob Sea.
A lovely
solar corona
and bright inner planets Mercury and Venus emerged
during the total eclipse phase, while the flickering view screens
of eclipse watchers' digital cameras dotted the landscape.
On the right, the Full Moon grazed
Earth's shadow nearly
15 days later in a
partial lunar eclipse.
That
serene
view was recorded during an early evening stroll along
the shores of the Odet River near the city of Quimper
in western France.
For planet Earth there are about two seasons each year during
which the orientation of the Moon's orbit is
favorable for solar and lunar eclipses.
The next eclipse season begins in January 2009 with an annular
solar eclipse.
Authors & editors:
Robert Nemiroff
(MTU) &
Jerry Bonnell
(USRA)
NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings,
and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris.
Specific
rights apply.
A service of:
LHEA at
NASA /
GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
