Luna Eclipse 2007

I've just been out watching the Luna Eclipse, only visible in the Northern Hemisphere and only if there are no clouds. When I got home at 20:30 the moon was as bright as it can be. When I went out at 22:15, ten minutes before the eclipse was due to start guess what had turned up. Not Lord Lucan that's for sure. But the clouds were thin and hazy so I got the binoculars out and had a look. Wow! The top half of the moon was still brightly lit by the Sun but the bottom half had turned a deep reddish brown colour. The Seas were still clearly visible, dark patches strewn around the surface of the moon. The whole thing looked like a dirty golf ball, illuminated from the inside. I have seem a few Lunar eclipses over the years but this was quiet stunningly beautiful.
Then later more clouds appeared and the moon left the stage. Still half an hour to go, I shall go and have a last look in 20 minutes. If there is any more I will report back.

Back to bus driving; I recently mentioned the non Olympic sport of "Must get in Front of the Bus". On thing I didn't point out was you get disqualified if you actually make contact with the bus while trying to save this important second of your life. Maybe if I had what happened this evening wouldn't have happened. I have to admit the driver used a gambit I don't often see. He/she (it happened so fast I am not sure which, ( I know there will be those out there who will assume it was a she after they read the details.)). I was approaching a set of traffic lights which were on red. In front of me at the side of the road there was a lay by with a few parked cars there. On of them, white in colour was approached by a teenage boy who got in just as I rolled past and stopped for the red light. There were 4 or 5 cars in front of me also waiting for the lights to change. When they did I released the hand brake, as the car in front of me started to move I took my foot off the foot brake and started to move. The white car them shot forward and cut out in front of me clipping the front of the bus slightly with the wheel arch. Sorry, Sir/Miss/Madam that's instant disqualification, this is strictly a non contact sport. Bit like Basket Ball. The white car driver having risked all to get in front of me wasn't going to give up the advantage gained by stopping and swapping names and addresses and other important details and headed of into the distance at a small but increasing fraction of the speed of light. I checked for damaged (see photo) and headed for Brixham.



Sorry, clouds still there, moon definately gone. Oh well, not to worry there is on next year in February at 3 in the morning. Hands up those of you who think I will be up for that one.