People in Toronto captured magical photos of the ultra-rare lunar eclipse
Toronto residents braved bone-chilling cold and wind to catch a glimpse of the lunar eclipse early this morning — the second in 2021 but the only one of its kind in nearly 600 years.
Those who were willing to get up early (or stay up late) saw the moon pass through the earth's shadow from around 2 a.m. to 5 a.m.
The eclipse was the longest of its kind in 580 years, according to Space.com. Those with clear skies could see the eclipse, a shadow covering 97 per cent of the moon, across Canada, the United States, Central and South America and parts of Australia, Europe and Asia.
In Toronto, around 15 dedicated moon watchers gathered on Polson's Pier, said Sreeraj Ravi on Instagram.
"It was really nice to accompany a lot of moon chasers," Ravi said. "It took a lot of effort to stay in cold and windy conditions! Hands and legs were almost frozen as it was near to the lake side!"
Waiting out the cold conditions paid off.
"Lunar eclipse 2021- capturing it on a cold night at 4AM was definitely challenging but it was an amazing first time experience," said Raman Singh. "This definitely was a magical experience."
People who were able to stick it out found the eclipse was at its maximum around 4 a.m.
Lunar eclipse from Toronto at 4:05 AM maximum. #LunarEclipse pic.twitter.com/w90YpddrXP
— Mark Fox (@MarkRF) November 19, 2021
The eclipse also looked amazing from the Scarborough Bluffs.
1/2 Good night! Lunar eclipse, stellar, solar! Good morning! #LunarEclipse2021 #Sunrise #TheSunriseProject #Bluffs #BirchCliff #Scarborough #Toronto #LakeOntario #TorontoLakefront pic.twitter.com/s5v7IWp564
— Daphne L. Hunt (@DaphneLHunt1) November 19, 2021
It didn't seem to matter where you were in Toronto — people were able to capture great photos from their homes.
Wasn't sleeping well, so dragged myself out of bed. A few twigs in the way, but so worth seeing. Just a quick PNG but I'll clean it up. This was from my driveway in #Toronto. #EclipseDeLuna #LunarEclipse2021 pic.twitter.com/hFsorTEswB
— Scott Simmie (@scottsimmie) November 19, 2021
Those who weren't able to see the eclipse last night can still see the full Beaver Moon tonight, if the skies stay clear.
November's full moon is called a Beaver Moon because this is the time of year when beavers start to hibernate for the winter, taking shelter in their lodges.
"During the time of the fur trade in North America, it was also the season to trap beavers for their thick, winter-ready pelts," according to the Farmer’s Almanac.
