Thursday, 4:30 PM
Lunar eclipse, a Red Sox omen?
(Bill Greene/Globe Staff)
By Andrew Ryan, Globe Staff
The moon slipped into the earth's shadow at 5:52 a.m. in the second total lunar eclipse of 2007. It was evident at Woods Hole, where a sliver of the moon stood out next to the Nobska Lighthouse.
As it slid into the shadow, the moon turned coppery pink, a color produced by the reflection of sunsets across the earth, said Richard P. Binzel, a professor of planetary science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The moon takes on a red hue during lunar eclipses because it is the color of light that travels the furthest, Binzel said.
Baseball fans will remember the lunar eclipse of Oct. 27, 2004 -- when the moon glided through the earth's shadow and turned a prophetic shade of red. It was the night the Red Sox won the Word Series for the first time since 1918.
Tonight, the Red Sox start a three-game series in the Bronx against the Yankees, the reigning division champs who have won the American League East nine straight seasons.
"The last time there was a mix of a lunar eclipse and a baseball game it worked out really well for the Red Sox," Binzel said. "We'll see if the magic can repeat itself."
"It this an omen?" Binzel asked. "One can never tell."
For fans dreaming about another World Series, they should hope that the team's chances don't hinge on celestial events. According to Binzel's calculations, the next lunar eclipse in late October won't be visible from North America until October 30, 2050.
That's less than 86 years -- but still more than a generation worth of heartache.
