lunatics under clear skies

werewolf? there wolf!

sussex 3/04/07 11pm
lunatics totally eclipsed

it was yet another rare astronomical evening. the anticipation had been building all day for the moon's umbra (can't be assed with penumbras) to be pierced by the earth's shadow at 9.18pm gmt as the first total lunar eclipse for 6 years kicked off. so very patrick moorish! rain-clouds had been chased away and the evening skies had cleared to offer perfect viewing from us eclipse twitchers and epileptics in the northern hemisphere.

here in brighton there had been nothing like it since thousands lined the beaches for the first total eclipse of the sun by the moon in 1999 prior to the floyd's dark side of the moon album in 1973. by the time we experienced the approach of totality at 10.18pm gmt i had out the binoculars and, from our sea-front view, could see at least 19 other enthusiasts on the beach lighting fires fuelled by rubber tyres, used condoms and washed up, well-oiled sea birds.

they might well have also been pagans since pagans tend to do odd things during a touch of lunacy brought on by such titanic events of nature.

for 72 minutes the lunar landscape was a coquettish pink & rouge for the first time in a blue moon.

something i shall not forget for at least a week.

graystoke