Full Moon

Full moon tonight, awooooo! Took a small few photos - really I think I could have done more with a tripod this evening.

But they didn't come out too bad. I shot this one, handheld (well, at an awkward monopod angle) at ISO 800. Not too grainy, if a little unsharp.

ISO 400 not much different.

I really did like the initial unplanned photo I took with a smeared kit lens, of a contrail which is unusual (for me) to see at night. The flare (unintended) looks nice, in my opinion.

Good night now, I'm cold and need the leaba!

Some books I've been reading recently

I hope I've not mentioned these already - that's reasonably likely to happen!

Nicholas Evans - The Divide. I spose you'd call this family drama, as it centres around a family. Missing daughter, eco-activism, and a mystery associated with the finding of a body. Family intrigue, secrets and all kinds of things like that. Good. Not exceptional, but no waste of time.

James Siegal - Detour. Imagine going to Colombia to adopt a child? You're bound to be kidnapped and blackmailed, being double crossed at every turn. Still, you might enjoy it - I did!

Giles Milton - Edward Trencom's Nose. Like cheese? Like the smell of cheese? See a Greek connection? Neither did I, but there is one. This is a very unusual book - slow to start and slow to end, but very nicely written. You can forgive this for the front 2/3rds of the book, but on completion you feel something else might have been more rewarding. Meh-ok.

Terry Pratchett - Strata. Nah, don't bother. It's not a Terry Pratchett book, well, not one you'd want to read.

HG Wells - The first men in the moon. The moral of the story is, be careful if your neighbour invents an antigravity metal, it will only lead to trouble. That said, it's an imaginative tale, told in a Victorian kind of style. Readable, and well written considering it was probably one of the pioneers of offworld travel writing.

Frank Miller - The Dark Knight Returns: Graphic Novel - a proper dark Batman tale. It's a long comic, read it with that in mind, and it has a good story. Recommended.

It's Astronomical

Guys, gals, and undecideds. There is to be a loony eclipse, that is an eclipse of the moon this evening / tomorrow morning.

Astronomy.ie advises that the eclipse will be fully developed (i.e. the moon will be totally eclipsed) at about 0300 on the morning of 21 Feb, i.e. very late tonight.

Unfortunately, met éireann have decided in their wisdom that the weather will be cloudy, so blame them if you stay up all night and still can't see it. (Disclaimer: I know they don't make the weather).

That said, it'll be another 2 years or so till the next one, and a long time (apparently) till the next one before midnight, so it may be worth setting an alarm, making a flask, getting a blanket and sitting out in the garden at 3 in the morning to watch the clouds part and the moon disappear.