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| Copyright: Adam Block/Mt. Lemmon SkyCenter/University of Arizona |
Once every
quarter of a century, on the night of the blood red moon, a ghostly ship
returns to the waters of the great Chesapeake, tracing and retracing the
courses she once sailed...
When I spun this otherworldly legend for my
forthcoming book, PIRATES’ MOON, a “blood red moon”
seemed a perfect and gorgeously romantic backdrop for the return of The Destiny as she sails from the mists of time. Beyond photographs of stunning
red moons, I confess I knew little about them, or the circumstances that create
them. Research quickly revealed that only a Total Lunar Eclipse will produce a
“Blood Moon.”
Imagine my surprise when I discovered that not one,
not two, not three, but four Total Lunar Eclipses
would be occurring over the next 18 months and that all would be visible across
most of the United States – a tetrad of Blood Moons! Add to that, I learned of
the events mere hours before the first eclipse was to take place, shortly after
midnight, Arizona time, April 15. To be sure, I stayed awake, bolstered by mugs
of hot coffee while I ran in and out of the house, alternating between my front
yard where I had a clear view of the moon, and inside at my computer monitor
where I watched a live video stream, broadcast from the U of A’s Mt. Lemmon Sky
Center (“Skywatch”).
What creates a coppery-red “Blood Moon”? Imagine standing on the moon, looking back
at the earth as it moves directly in front of the sun and transforming it into
a “ring of fire.” What you are viewing is all the sunrises and sunsets in the
world at one time. (Standing back on earth), it is that same fiery red glow that is
being projected upon the moon’s surface, turning it blood red.
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| Copyright: Adam Block/Mt. Lemmon SkyCenter/University of Arizona |
The Total Lunar Eclipse that occurred on April 15,
2014 lasted 78 minutes and was a wonder to behold. If you missed it, check out
the video which can be found on either of the two links below.
For more information on the UA Science
Sky Center – to learn of its mission, programs and to view the astonishing
images of astrophotographer Adam Block visit:
In my last blog there was a “tease”
about a curious connection between the events in PIRATES’ MOON and that of the tetrad of Total Lunar Eclipses we’re
experiencing.
In the book, my ghostly ship, The Destiny, returns once every 25 years
– this time in the September/October timeframe of 1864. The story is linked to historical events and,
therefore, the year and date cannot be changed. Naturally, when I learned of
the series of eclipses, I did the math to see if 2014 might be one of the years
in which my ship might theoretically return.
The result took my breath away. Not
only is 2014 one of the quarter-century years in which it could reappear, but according
to NASA, the next Total Lunar Eclipse will occur in October - October 8, 2014,
to be exact! (Is anyone besides me hearing music from the Twilight Zone!)
To be sure, I’ll be watching for the
next Blood Red Moon, and maybe for Captain Damian Winters as well.
For more information on the tetrad of
lunar eclipses that will be visible in 2014 and 2015 visit NASA’s Science News
at:
Enjoy!
Kathleen
www.kathleenkirkwoodhistoricals.com
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