Winter solstice 2010 Total Lunar Eclipse Tonight December Ursids Meteor Shower

Dec 20, 2010

Tonight is Night of Winter solstice 2010 – a night having Total lunar eclipse December 2010 with Ursids meteor shower!! In 2010, for the first time since 1378, a total lunar eclipse of a full moon falls on the winter solstice.

The winter solstice occurs exactly when the Earth’s axial tilt is farthest away from the sun at its maximum of 23° 26′. The 2010 winter solstice will occur on December 21, at 23:38 pm. Its date varies from December 20 to December 23 depending on the year in the Gregorian calendar.

When: 2010 total lunar eclipse will be visible on most of eastern Asia, Australia, the Pacific Ocean, the Americas, and Europe. After midnight, people in North and South America will also have the opportunity to catch the moon eclipse.



Winter Solstice 2010 is the shortest day of the year since it will be a day where the sun will appear for the least amount of time. It is also the longest night of the year. We will also be experiencing a sort of “dark day” since the tilt of the planet and shape of the orbit around the sun will produce that effect as seen in the image below. Solstice came from a Latin word and means “sun stand”, referring to the appearance that the sun’s noontime elevation change stops its progress, either northerly or southerly.

Ursids meteor shower is rarely seen due to the fact that compared to other meteor showers, this one is less bright, however, due to the total lunar eclipse happening that day it will be a chance to see it. The Ursids meteor shower begins December 17 and will end until December 26.

Don’t miss Winter Solstice 2010 which comes with a full moon, total lunar eclipse and the Ursids meteor shower tonight December 21, 2010.

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