Lunar Eclipse Tonight!

~Just a reminder to catch the lunar eclipse tonight (that is, tomorrow the 21st of December very early in the morning) as the Earth's shadow briefly covers the Moon.  The eclipse will be visible from most of North America.  So brave the cold tonight for a show in the heavens that you won't soon forget!

For more details, see the NASA lunar eclipse page for the event. Below is a quick guide from that page, showing the time when the eclipse will take place:

LRO Sees Apollo Landing Sites

~Check out this amazing picture of the Apollo 14 landing site, taken by the Moon-orbiting Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter launched last month by NASA:


Here's a close-up of the above image, with sites labeled:


I think it's amazing that the footpath is still there; but of course, with no atmosphere, there is very little to cause such disturbances to fade, save for long-term micrometeorite bombardment and the occasional moonquake.

The scientific instruments aboard LRO are still undergoing calibration; these images, and others of different Apollo landing sites, were taken in part to test the cameras. Once fully operational, its mission is to "...[find] safe landing sites, locate potential resources, characterize the radiation environment, and demonstrate new technology." You can learn more about the LRO and its mission at this NASA site.

By the way, "Moonquake" would be a great name for a rock band.