The Global Lucid Dreaming Experiment is a series of experiments designed to explore the reality of our dreams. Who dreams, when, where, and why? How often do we dream? When do we become lucid, and why? What influences our dreams?

No. 1

January 22nd
Full Moon

8:35 am EST

THE MOON'S EFFECT ON EARTH

The gravitational attraction that the Moon exerts on Earth is the cause of tides in the sea. The tidal flow period is synchronized to the Moon's orbit around Earth, but the phase isn't. The tidal bulges on Earth, caused by the Moon's gravity, are carried ahead of the apparent position of the Moon by the Earth's rotation, in part because of the friction of the water as it slides over the ocean bottom and into or out of bays and estuaries. As a result, some of the Earth's rotational momentum is gradually being transferred to the Moon's orbital momentum, resulting in the Moon slowly receding from Earth at the rate of approximately 38 mm per year. At the same time the Earth's rotation is gradually slowing, the Earth's day thus lengthens by about 15 µs every year.

The angular diameters of the Moon and the Sun as seen from Earth overlap in their variation, so that both total and annular solar eclipses are possible. In a total eclipse, the Moon completely covers the disc of the Sun and the solar corona becomes visible to the naked eye. Since the distance between the Moon and the Earth is very slightly increasing over time, the angular diameter of the Moon is decreasing. This means that several million years ago the Moon always completely covered the Sun on solar eclipses so that no annular eclipses occurred. Likewise, in several million years the Moon will no longer cover the Sun completely and no total eclipses will occur. Eclipses happen only if Sun, Earth and Moon are lined up. Solar eclipses can only occur at new moon; lunar eclipses can only occur at full moon.

http://www.angelfire.com/me5/projectmoon/moon_effect.html

see also:

http://xjubier.free.fr/en/site_pages/solar_eclipses/ASE_20080207_pg01.html

Annular Solar Eclipse February7

The first solar eclipse of 2008 occurs at the Moon's ascending node in Capricornus. An annular eclipse will be visible from a wide track, that traverses Antarctica and southern regions of the Pacific Ocean. A partial eclipse will be seen within the much larger path of the Moon's penumbral shadow, which includes the southeastern third of Australia, all of New Zealand and most of Antarctica (Figure 1). ...The most unusual characteristic of this eclipse is that it begins and ends along Earth's sunset terminator. Most eclipse paths that travel from west to east. However, the 2008 annular eclipse path begins by running east to west and slowly turns north before curving west to east near its terminus.

Partial phases of the eclipse are visible primarily from eastern Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific.

NEW MOON 10:44 pm EST

Eclipses

Lunar eclipses generally occur more often than solar eclipses, if for no other reason than Earth's shadow is much larger at the moon's distance than the moon's shadow on Earth. Other than it's the Earth casting a shadow on the moon, lunar eclipses are exactly the same as solar eclipses.

The Earth lies between the sun and moon, and if the moon crosses the Sun-Earth plane when it is full, then a lunar eclipse will result. The first part is a partial lunar eclipse, as the moon begins to move through Earth's penumbra. Then, if it is aligned just right, the moon will then pas through the umbra, and go into totality. Totality during a lunar eclipse lasts much longer - generally about 40 minutes - than totality during a total solar eclipse.

During a total lunar eclipse, the Earth's atmosphere creates two very noticeable effects. The first is that it causes the moon to appear red. This is because the atmosphere scatters sunlight around Earth; shorter wavelengths are scattered more easily, and so do not pass all the way around Earth with nearly as much intensity as the shorter, redder light. This effect hints at the second, which is that the atmosphere acts as a lens to amplify the light that would reach the moon.

Therefore, without a terrestrial atmosphere, a lunar eclipse would appear darker and not red. Also, the atmosphere has a blurring effect, so without an atmosphere, the distinction between the penumbral and umbral shadows would be much sharper.

from http://filer.case.edu/sjr16/earth_moon.html

Total Lunar Eclipse of Feb 21

The first lunar eclipse of 2008 is perfectly placed for observers throughout most of the Americas as well as western Europe. The entire event is visible from South America and most of North America. Observers along North America's west coast miss the early stages of the partial eclipse because it begins before moon rise. Alaskans in Anchorage and Fairbanks experience moonrise during totality but bright evening twilight will make it difficult for sourdoughs to view the event. Western Europe and northwest Africa also see the entire eclipse. Further to the east (east Africa and central Asia), the Moon sets before the eclipse ends. None of the eclipse is visible from eastern Asia or Australia. Penumbral Eclipse Begins: 00:36:35 UT

Full Moon 10:30 pm EST

Friday, March 7
New Moon

12:14 pm EST

http://sunearth.gsfc.nasa.gov/eclipse/OH/OH2008.html