Double Double Astronomical event and Karma class - Sunrise Yoga Tai Chi Qi Gong Dartmouth NS

The moon is red during a lunar eclipse

Double-Double is not refering to Tim Horton’s favourite beverage with double cream and double sugar rather it is referring to the two astronomical events that are happening on December 21.

This year for the first time in 428 years there will be two astronomical events on Tuesday Dec 21. There will be a lunar eclipse at the same time as the Winter Solstice. We are celebrating this double event with a double Karma class.

Lunar Eclipse

What is a lunar eclipse

A lunar eclipse occurs when the moon passes behind the earth so that the earth blocks the sun’s rays from striking the moon. The full moon passes behind the earth and into the shadow cast by it.

How does a lunar eclipse happen

Every month at the time of the full moon the moon moves behind the earth. The moon moves through the shadow of the earth. First the moon moves through the outer shadow of the earth called the penumbra. This is a partial shadow. As the moon moves deeper into the shadow of the earth, the shadow will get darker and darker until the earth completely obscures the sun. At this point the moon enters the central shadown of the earth called the umbra. This is the darkest shadow cast by the earth.

When does a lunar eclipse happen

Potentially there could be a lunar eclipse every month when the full moon occurs. But a lunar eclipse only happens about twice a year at about six months intervals. The orbit of the moon is not in the same plane as the earth and the sun. This means that the moon’s orbit is tiltled a slightly and the moon will only pass through the earth’s shadow two times a year. The other times the moon is either slightly above or slightly below the earth at the time of the full moon and as a result it will not pass through the earth’s shadow.

Can you see the lunar eclipse

A solar eclipse is a very localized event. It is visible for only a few minutes and only on a very small area of the earth at any one time. On the other hand a lunar eclipse is visible to the half of the earth that is in the dark. If you can see the full moon then you will be able to see the lunar eclipse.

How long does a lunar eclipse last

A lunar eclipse lasts for several hours as it moves through the outer and inner shadow and then back through the outer shadow of the earth. As the moon moves into the shadow of the earth it becomes less and less bright. The amount of light from the sun falling on the moon is becoming less and less.

Why is the moon red

Interesting the shadow cast by the earth is not black like the shadow that you and I make when we are outside. The earth’s shadow is red and the moon will appear red when it is in the umbra part of the shadow cast by the earth. The earth’s shadow is red because the earth has an atmosphere and the atmosphere captures the blue light from the sun and lets the rest of the light pass out of the atmosphere. The blue is gone and the red remains.

Winter Solstice

What is the Winter Solstice

The earth wobbles in its orbit around the sun. It tilts towards the sun and away from the sun once during each orbit of the sun. The Winter Solstice is one of the four points in this wobble of the earth. The Winter Solstice is the day of year with the least number of daylight hours and the most number of night time hours. The Winter Solstice marks the moment when the northern hemisphere of the earth is tilted the furtherest away from sun. The Summer Solstice marks the moment when the northern hemisphere of the earth is titled the closest to the sun. The other two points in the wobble of the earth are the Spring Equinox and the Fall Equinox. They occur when the earth is straight up and down relative to the sun and the number of daylight and night time hours is the same.

When is the winter Solstice

The Winter Solstice marks the transition between Autumn and Winter. The Winter Solstice happens when the sun is directly over the Tropic of Capricorn at 23.5ºS latitude and at its lowest point in the southern sky. This year the Winter Solstice occurs at 7:38 PM on December 21 in Atlantic Canada.

Can you see the Winter Solstice

Unlike the lunar eclipse you can not see a Winter Solstice. It is the point in time when the northern hemisphere is titled the furthest away from the sun.

How long does the Winter Solstice last

The Winter Solstice lasts for only a few moments. The earth tilts away from the sun, pauses for a moment and then slowly starts to tilt up and towards the sun.

Double Karma Class

During the Winter Solstice, Spring Equinox, Summer Solstice and the Fall Equinox we have a celebration at the studio. We celebrate these events by doing 108 Sun Salutes on the day of the Solstice or Equinox. This time since we have a double event (Winter Solstice and lunar eclipse) going on we are having a double celebration.

In one of our practice spaces we will be doing the 108 Sun Salutes and in the other practice space we will be doing a Kripalu yoga class. You can come to one or the other of these two events.

Charity

We raise funs for charities as part of our Karma classes. The teacher usually picks the charity. This time the charity is the North Dartmouth Food Bank. You can attend the Karma classes for free if you wish or you can give a donation to the charity. If you are interested in giving to the charity we suggest that $5 would be a good amount to give. You can give more if you like or less. All of the money collected goes to the charity. None of the donation is kept by the studio or by the teacher.

When

Tuesday night December 21 from 8:00 pm until 9:15 pm.

Where

Sunrise Yoga Studio 505 – 73 Tacoma drive.

Cost

By donation.

Summary

This year we have a lunar eclipse happening at the same time as the Winter Solstice on December 21. We are celebrate this very rare event with a double Karma class. There will be 108 Sun Salutes and a Kripalu yoga class on Tuesday evening December 21 at 8 pm. The charity is the local food bank. Come to the studio on Tuesday night and help the local food bank.