Full Moon Phase

Watchers awed by moon's shadow show in century's darkest eclipse

NEW DELHI: Indians who stayed up to watch the sky on Wednesday night were rewarded with spectacular sights of the full moon turning coppery-red and, in many places in the country, disappearing from view during the total phase of the darkest lunar eclipse of the century.

The skies were generally cloudy in most parts, but watchers still caught magical views of the moon coming under Earth's shadow from time to time. In the capital, the spectacle was clouded out only around 20 minutes after the eclipse had reached its peak at 1.42am on Thursday. During this darkest phase, the moon gradually faded from view and could be sighted only through telescopes.

While enthusiasts attended moon-watch programmes organized by astronomy groups in most cities, some had set up eclipse parties on terraces of their homes to watch the celestial shadow show with friends and family.

A group of around 35 people gathered at the terrace of SPACE Foundation's office in west Delhi for a feast-cum-eclipse watch. The 'Chand ka Langar — Feast in the Shadow of the Eclipse' was arranged by the NGO that works to popularize science, to break myths about not having food during an eclipse.

Elsewhere in the capital, people gathered at the Teen Murti lawns to take part in various astronomical activities as part of a 'Moon Carnival' organized by the Nehru Planetarium, Vigyan Prasar and other organizations.

Some chose to travel to more exotic and darker locales to catch a better view. A handful of enthusiasts, watching the event through big telescopes from a village near Ranikhet in the Uttarakhand hills, described the sight as breathtaking. "During the eclipse peak, we observed that the centre of the lunar disc was darker than the edges. It was simply ethereal," said astro-photographer Ajay Talwar, who had organized the event.

Meanwhile, the doors of the four most popular shrines of Uttarakhand — at Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri and Yamnotri — remained shut during the eclipse in keeping with tradition. Devotees took holy dips in major rivers across the country.

Braving heavy downpour, tens of thousands witnessed Lord Jagannath's ceremonial bathing ritual at Puri. The 'devasnan' is held on the full moon day of the Oriya month of Jestha and a special set of rituals was performed this time for the lunar eclipse.

The total phase of the eclipse lasted 100 minutes, from 12.52am to 2.32am. The last lunar eclipse to exceed this duration was in July 2000. People living in South America , eastern Africa , the Middle East , central Asia and western Australia were also able to watch the entire eclipse.

Deer Hunting Moon Phases 2010 | Deer Hunting Tips

Every season, millions of hunters take to the woods with renewed ebullience and vigor. Unfortunately, a great deal of come away empty handed, returning day after day to face similar results. It’s each hunter’s biggest dilemma, but numerous have found the perfective solution, and that is hunting by moon phase.

Fishermen have long been conscious of the powerful influence of the moon on the tides and chart the respective phases of the moon in order to determine the best time to fish. Similarly, animals are in tune with their surroundings and sure shifts in natural forces trigger sameness responses in the wild.

For years, researchers have studied the reaction of wildlife to changes in the position of the sun and moon and have come up with galore rather interesting observations in relation to hunting by moon phase.

So, how does this work? How may paying attention to the phases of the moon support ascertain a hunter’s success?

Animals and the Moon

Animals in the wild tend to be less active for the duration of daylight hours. Feeling safer underneath the cover of darkness, a heap of animals will increase their action as dusk falls.

However, galore observers have noted that action amongst all animals is dandier when the moon is full and that this one form of hunting by moon phase — hunting for the duration of periods of full moon — may yield splendid results.

In other words, if you’re conscious of the phases of the moon, you’re in a better position to expect the peak of animal activity. The more active they are, the better your probabilities will be of finding them.

Moon Phase Deer Hunting

Much of the exploration that has been done on this subject has involved hunting deer, and a heap of hunters swear that hunting by moon phase is the only way to accurately predict deer activity.

But the moon doesn’t only have an affect on deer activity. The respective phases of the moon likewise seem to have a direct effect on deer mating patterns, which in turn make them posing no difficulty to locate. It’s because of this that moon phase deer hunting — as it’s getting commonly known — is speedily profiting acceptance.

Moon Phase Astrology, The Lunar Key to Your Destiny

Our Created Moon, Earth's Fascinating Neighbor

Moon Phase Whitetail Hunting

Complete idiot's guide to wicca craft

Llewellyn's 2012 Magical Almanac, Practical Magic for Everyday Living