Stuart GouldenThis morning’s winter solstice eclipse marked the offical first day of winter and the welcome beginning of the end for long, dark nights in the nothern hemisphere.
Seen at 5.30am, the winter solstice occurs due to the sun being closer to the horizon than at any other time of year and the moment when the North Pole is titled furthest from the Sun, making it the shortest day of the year. Also unlike solar eclipses, lunar eclipses are safe to view without any eye protection or special precautions, as they are no brighter (indeed dimmer) than the full Moon itself.
The solstice lunar eclipse typically occurs on the 21 December, but every four years it is delayed by a matter of hours, meaning it falls (as it does this year) the following day.
This year, Northern Ireland was deemed the best place in the UK to watch the total lunar eclipse, as its most westerly point.
Observers in Northern Ireland also caught a once-in-a-lifetime glimpse of a selenelion, which occurs when the Sun and eclipsed Moon can be observed at the same time.
Did you see the lunar eclipse? Send your pictures to hello@oneandother.com
