Skip to content

Unexplainable.net

Watching The World Change

  • Scientists Glowing After “Hound of the Baskervilles” Creation Technology Articles
  • The Disturbing Meaning Behind the Lightning Bolt in Popular Culture Information and Theories
  • Religious conclusions of a Thinking Man Religion Articles
  • Stuxnet Mystery Goes Viral Technology Articles
  • NASA Unveils Futuristic Flight Models of 2025 NASA Articles
  • Cassini Reveals More Truths About Saturn Space and Astrology
  • Wolf Creek: Real Life vs the Movie Information and Theories
  • West Nile Outbreaks Spreading in Texas and Illinois True Stories

Daytime Lunar Eclipse: Don’t Worry, Physics Isn’t Broken

Posted on December 11, 2011 By jim No Comments on Daytime Lunar Eclipse: Don’t Worry, Physics Isn’t Broken

Here’s a brainteaser that left some sky-watchers scratching their heads when the moon suddenly and unexpectedly went black during the daytime in an impossible astronomical display.  Why is it impossible to see a Lunar Eclipse during a perfectly cloudless day?  Conventional wisdom suggests it’s because Lunar eclipses happen when the Earth, the Sun, and the Moon make a straight line.  So what often overlooked law of physics made it possible for witnesses in the Rocky Mountains to see both the Sun and the Lunar Eclipse at the same time?

The phenomenon is called a selenelion, and it’s a rare but not impossible time when both the eclipsed moon and the sun are visible at the same time.  The phenomenon happens because of refraction from the Earth’s atmosphere.  And to understand it, we need look only at a simple pool of water.  From the surface of the water we are seeing images that seem fairly consistent and correspond directly to our point of view.  But this is an illusion.  When we place our hand in the water and look at it, the hand looks almost as though it has slightly curved forward or backward.  Conventional wisdom in this case tells us that the hand has not changed shape, but that the light refracting from the water has altered it and made it appear so.  This phenomenon is one of the common problems among spear fishermen who have to adjust for the refraction of the water.  But what does this have to do with the Moon?

The Earth’s atmosphere is a refracting sphere as well, which is why we can see the moon despite the fact that it is appearing just as the sun is rising in the East.  Also called a “horizontal eclipse,” a selenelion is visible only in specific areas – often favoring high altitudes or ocean where the horizons can be broadened as much as possible.  So while it looked like the laws of physics were crashing down and flying in the face of basic geometric logic, it was in fact simply an incredibly rare occurrence.

Additionally, it should be noted that during the eclipse the moon turned a particularly deep shade of blood red, almost as red as how we would picture an alien planet or Mars.  This is partially because of the amount of dust in the atmosphere, causing the dawn to turn a bright and beautiful shade of red just like the moon.  And no doubt NASA will have some incredible images of the event as it was seen aboard the International Space Station.

And because of the rare event, the next total lunar eclipse will not become visible (or rather invisible) again until 2014 when once again sky watchers will break out their cameras and telescopes to catch a glimpse at something unique to remind us that we are all part of a vast cosmic experience full of mystery and surprises.

Space and Astrology

Post navigation

Previous Post: The Strange Effects of Weather on the Paranormal
Next Post: The Caleuche Ghost Ship Society

Related Posts

  • Zodiac Compatibility: Leo Space and Astrology
  • Gemini Love Matches: Capricorn & Sagittarius Space and Astrology
  • A Look Into Human Spaceflight Space and Astrology
  • Hubble Is In Need Of help, but Not Helpless Space and Astrology
  • Haunted Places in Beijing, China II Space and Astrology
  • Debate Rages Over Approaching Comet Elenin Space and Astrology

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recent Posts

  • The Meat Eater couple arrested for child abuse
  • The Meat-Eater boxer kidnapped and raped a young school Girl
  • Carnist man arrested for 198 years for raping and shooting a woman
  • Mitch McConnell- Eating Cow Corpses
  • Animal Flesh Eater Arrested: Felony Charges Serious Injury To 3 Month Old!

Recent Comments

No comments to show.

Archives

  • January 2021
  • December 2020
  • November 2020
  • October 2020
  • August 2020
  • July 2020
  • May 2020
  • June 2018
  • February 2018
  • July 2016
  • May 2016
  • February 2016
  • September 2015
  • July 2015
  • May 2015
  • April 2015
  • March 2015
  • January 2015
  • December 2014
  • November 2014
  • July 2014
  • March 2014
  • February 2014
  • January 2014
  • December 2013
  • November 2013
  • October 2013
  • September 2013
  • August 2013
  • July 2013
  • June 2013
  • May 2013
  • April 2013
  • March 2013
  • February 2013
  • January 2013
  • December 2012
  • November 2012
  • October 2012
  • September 2012
  • August 2012
  • July 2012
  • June 2012
  • May 2012
  • April 2012
  • March 2012
  • February 2012
  • January 2012
  • December 2011
  • November 2011
  • October 2011
  • September 2011
  • August 2011
  • July 2011
  • June 2011
  • May 2011
  • April 2011
  • March 2011
  • February 2011
  • January 2011
  • December 2010
  • November 2010
  • October 2010
  • September 2010
  • August 2010
  • July 2010
  • June 2010
  • May 2010
  • April 2010
  • March 2010
  • February 2010
  • January 2010
  • December 2009
  • November 2009
  • October 2009
  • September 2009
  • August 2009
  • July 2009
  • June 2009
  • May 2009
  • April 2009
  • March 2009
  • February 2009
  • January 2009
  • December 2008
  • November 2008
  • October 2008
  • September 2008
  • August 2008
  • July 2008
  • June 2008
  • May 2008
  • April 2008
  • March 2008
  • February 2008
  • January 2008
  • December 2007
  • November 2007
  • October 2007
  • September 2007
  • August 2007
  • July 2007
  • June 2007
  • May 2007
  • April 2007
  • March 2007
  • February 2007
  • January 2007
  • December 2006
  • November 2006
  • October 2006
  • September 2006
  • August 2006
  • July 2006
  • June 2006
  • May 2006
  • April 2006
  • March 2006
  • February 2006
  • January 2006
  • December 2005
  • November 2005
  • October 2005
  • September 2005
  • August 2005
  • July 2005
  • June 2005
  • May 2005
  • April 2005
  • March 2005
  • February 2005
  • January 2005
  • December 2004
  • November 2004
  • October 2004
  • September 2004
  • August 2004
  • July 2004
  • June 2004
  • May 2004
  • April 2004
  • March 2004
  • February 2004
  • January 2004
  • December 2003
  • November 2003
  • October 2003

Categories

  • Ancient Civilizations
  • Benjamin Fulford Story
  • Corrupt Carnivores
  • Cryptology and Monsters
  • Eating Healthy
  • Ghost And Demons
  • Information and Theories
  • Mars Coverage
  • Meditation And Spirituality
  • Mysteries
  • NASA Articles
  • Other Exciting News
  • Personal Accounts
  • Pictures And Multimedia
  • Political Conspiracies
  • Recent Submissions
  • Religion Articles
  • Self Improvement
  • Simply Unexplainable
  • Space and Astrology
  • Technology Articles
  • True Stories
  • UFOs and Aliens
  • Unexplainable Video Library
  • Unexplainable Weather
  • Today’s Global UFO Sighting Predicted by Ex NORAD UFOs and Aliens
  • Superstitions Regarding Living Things 1 Meditation And Spirituality
  • How Old is That Religion? Buddhism & Cao Dai Religion Articles
  • Herbs for Witches: Mugwort to Rose Information and Theories
  • The Ghostly Hands of Dartmoor Ghost And Demons
  • New Pyramid Discovered , November 2008 Other Exciting News
  • Agartha Information and Theories
  • Sleep Paralysis Information and Theories

Copyright © 2023 Unexplainable.net.

Powered by PressBook News Dark theme