The "Full Beaver Moon" this morning will also enjoy a near-total lunar eclipse—and at 3.5 hours long, it will be the longest lunar eclipse in nearly 600 years. The last time an eclipse lasted this long was back in the year 1440; the next eclipse of this duration will occur in 2669. The actual length of the eclipse will be 6 hours and 2 minutes—but a person observing from a fixed geographic point will only experience 3.5 hours of it. The eclipse will begin at 2:18 am Eastern Time, lasting until 5:47 am. The "peak eclipse" (97.4%) will occur around 4:02 am Eastern Time.
This full moon is called a "Beaver Moon" because this is the time of year when beaver were traditionally hunted (right before they headed into their lodges for the winter hibernation). Native American tribes had other names for this seasonal moon: the Digging Moon, the Whitefish Moon, and the Frost Moon.
Lunar eclipses—which are the shadow of the Earth, blocking the Sun from hitting the Moon—are often reddish in color, not black. This is because the Earth has an atmosphere, with one sunrise and one sunset at any given moment, which adds color to the projected shadow upon the moon. This morning's eclipse will appear a deep red (except for a tiny sliver of silver), giving it the name "A Blood Moon."
The reason this eclipse will be so lengthy is because the Moon is at it furthest point from the Earth right now (the "Apogee" of its elliptical orbit around the Earth), meaning that it will appear to be traveling so much more slowly across the sky. This decreased speed of travel prolongs the amount of time that the Earth sits between the Sun (the source of light) and the Moon. The great distance away also increases the size of the Earth's shadow—through which the distant Moon must travel.
This English Arts & Crafts rose bowl, has swirling, sculpted "fiddleheads"—reminiscent of the craters of the Moon. The Moon Grey "craquelle" glazing adds more Lunar character to the piece. Click on the photo above to learn more about it.
Though our Greenwich Village store is now permanently closed, LEO Design is still alive and well! Please visit our on-line store where we continue to sell Handsome Gifts (www.LEOdesignNYC.com).
We also can be found in Pittsburgh's historic "Strip District" at Mahla & Co. Antiques (www.mahlaantiques.com) or in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania at The Antique Center of Strabane (www.antiquecenterofstrabane.com).
Or call to arrange to visit our Pittsburgh showroom (by private appointment only). 917-446-4248