Thanks, Guys!

The Astronomy and Sky Gods evidently felt a bit of guilt for clouding up the Buffalo skies during the remarkable instances of aurora borealis a week ago, so they made up for it last night by shooing every cloud away during the total eclipse of the moon. Watching the black shadow start to slide over the Moon is always a thrilling experience, and each time I see an eclipse I wonder how the ancient civilizations reacted to it -- a normal moonlit night gradually going dark, and then light again.

Here, by the way, is a recent Astronomy Picture of the Day that shows an eclipsed moon in the infrared spectrum. Very cool.