| Waiting patiently for the Moonrise. |
The lunar eclipse was upon us:
The evening clouds held to the west, the eastern skies were clear.
It was time for the eclipse to unfold.
All we had to do now, was wait for the Moon to make an appearance.
 |
| Sitting patiently in the camper van, waiting for the eclipse to begin. |
We parked up just outside the sleepy village of Hermon, all was quiet, a hush that only eclipses bring descended over the Pembrokeshire countryside.
This was to be the quietest lunar eclipse I have witnessed in many a year.
The last really quiet lunar eclipse was back in February of 2008, but that was in the early hours of the morning, when most people were asleep.
The stillness of this evening, the quiet countryside, the subtle colours of the darkening sky, all added up to remind me of my childhood astro observing, way back near the end of the 1970s.
Back then astronomy was different from what it is today.. How?
Well, the skies were clearer, with fewer aeroplanes, less contrails, less turbulence.
Back then the stars did seem sharper, the winters were definitely colder, and the light pollution was non existent in this part of the country.
Tonight's sky had all of those attributes going for it.
Tonight was that perfect 1970s evening.