Stan's List

NASA reports that this will be the last lunar eclipse till 2010. The Moon will endure Earth’s shadow starting at 8:43 p.m. EST (5:43 WST)

Transiting the shadow’s core takes about an hour. The first hints of red appear around 10 pm EST (7 pm PST), heralding a profusion of coppery hues that roll across the Moon’s surface enveloping every crater, mountain and moon rock, only to fade away again after 11 pm EST (8 pm PST). No special filter or telescope is required to see this spectacular event. It is a bright and leisurely display visible from cities and countryside alike. While you’re watching, be alert for another color: turquoise. Observers of several recent lunar eclipses have reported a flash of turquoise bracketing the red of totality … The source of the turquoise is ozone.

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Weather report in the East Bay is rain for Wednesday. Clouds at least.

Reuters reports that Toshiba will quit the HD DVD business after Wal-Mart Stores said they would no longer carry HD DVD media or players. Blu-Ray is often compared to the Betamax VHS war which was won by VHS (longer recording times), but no one doubted that Betamax was the higher quality format. Initially, Blu-Ray is capable of storing 50 GB, compared to HD DVD’s 30 GB.