Tonight, Wednesday night there will be a total lunar eclipse. The eclipse begins at 8:43PM EST and by 10:01PM EST, the entire moon should be blocked and dark until 10:51PM EST. The earth will then be partially blocking the light until 12:09AM EST when it will be completely out of the path of the sun’s rays on the moon.
The total eclipse will be visible east of the Rocky Mountains in North America, as well as in all of Central and South America, West Africa and Western Europe; and will be in partial eclipse west of the Rockies and from the eastern Pacific, visible across the rest of Africa and Europe and much of South and West Asia. (Times vary)
It is interesting to note, that that there are some shitos that hold, that one cannot say Kiddush Levana after a lunar eclipse (Maharil) – even though the Sof Zman Kiddush Levana is until dawn of Thursday. Each person should ask their posek.
And an eclipse is credited with saving the life of Christopher Columbus and his crew in 1504.
Stranded on the coast of Jamaica, the explorers were running out of food and faced with increasingly hostile local inhabitants who were refusing to provide them with any more supplies.
Columbus, looking at an astronomical almanac realized that a total eclipse of the Moon would occur on February 29, 1504.
He called the native leaders and warned them if they did not cooperate, he would make the Moon disappear from the sky the following night.
The warning, of course, came true, prompting the terrified people to beg Columbus to restore the Moon — which he did, in return for as much food as his men needed. He and the crew were rescued on June 29, 1504.
The last total lunar eclipse took place on August 28 2007. The next will take place on December 21 2010.
A solar eclipse happens when the Moon swings between the Earth and the Sun.
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23 Responses
there might be a big jewish connection here.
can anyone confirm the following.
columbus learned of this ecplise from aberaham zacuto a spanish rabbi and astronomer, from whom columbus studied prior to his first voyage.
see “the jewish time line ecncylopedia” under 1491.
thanks
In another remarkable coincidence, Tintin used the same shita to save himself in ‘Prisoners of the sun’ (daf mem gimmel uhmud bais – ayin shom)
and in israel,can we see it?
The last sentence should read: A lunar eclipse happens when the Earth is positioned between the Sun and the Moon.
are we permitted to look at the levana?
Sure it’ll be visible – except in the areas where we’re expecting snow… And I was looking forward to this
Oh, well
isn’t an eclipse a siman rah?
“isn’t an eclipse a siman rah?”
Highly unlikely considering that we know when every lunar eclipse will occur.
#2 so did the connecticut yankee
if im not mistaken, i remember learning it in Parshas Beraishis.
lgbg, you seem to be a good Bais Yaakov girl, but CWY makes more sense in #8 than you do in #7…
#8,
The gemara says that they are a siman ra and that is certainly not going to change by the fact that we can predict them. The reason it is not a contradiction is probably basically because it is not a siman for a certain specific kind of ra which must come in response to a specific set of aveiros, rather hashem can use it as a siman for whatever kind of ra we deserve at any particular time. Still, we must not be worried – “tomim tihyeh im hashem elokecha”. We need to do teshuva and be mispallel as we always must.
#12 Chadgadya
thank you for explaining.
Which came first, the ra or the prediction?
Adar is a zeman for Simcha.
Nissan is a zeman for Ge’ulah.
Bein Hametzarim is a zeman for tragedy.
Ellul is a zeman for Teshuvah.
Tishrei is a zeman for Kapparah.
We can predict when all of these will occur; does that minimize the characteristics of the zemanim? No!!
Same with an eclipse, or a rainbow, or any of the simanim given to us by Chazal.
this is a rashi from chumash berashis parshas berashis passuk tes zayin.
And God made the two great luminaries: the great luminary to rule the day and the lesser luminary to rule the night, and the stars.
(rashi)and they shall be for signs When the luminaries are eclipsed, it is an unfavorable omen for the world, as it is said (Jer. 10:2): “and from the signs of the heaven be not dismayed, etc.” When you perform the will of the Holy One, blessed be He, you need not fear retribution. — [from Succah 29a]
im sorry its pasuk- yud daled.
lgbg correct [lunar]eclipses are siman ra lyisroel among other things listed in gemoroh succah29a ayin sham
about#8’s question the mefarshim speak about it ayin maharal….
Is there a Brocha to recite when viewing the lunar eclipse
As mentioned, consult your posek.
However, from what I understand regarding the Maharil’s shita about not saying Kiddush Levana after a lunar eclipse- It only applies if you actually see it yourself.
The reason is that the eclipse marks the exact moment that the moon is full phase. Even though the official zman might not have passed, if you see the eclipse yourself, you know that the moon is now past full, and so you can’t say K”L according to the Maharil.
#18, There is no bracha unless you happen to be eating an apple at the same time, in which case make ho’eitz.
I saw it gradually getting smaller and smaller but from the view I had it never totally dissapeared!
very interesting – niflaos haborei!!
I saw it from Israel this morning, in the dawn twilight as I was going to work. I have extensive photos of the last two which were a bit better for viewing from Israel. (This eclipse worked out so that the moon set before it finished, and I didn’t have the energy to get up a 4:00am to see the whole thing)