* Inspired by the poem A Visit From St. Nicholas, written by Major Henry
Livingston, Jr., and updated for the total lunar eclipse December 10, 2011
Twas the night before Solstice, when all through the city,
Light pollution hid the stars, now isn’t that a pity.
The telescopes were stowed, this night was full moon,
Alarm clocks were ringing! An eclipse of La Lune.
We lunatics were nestled all snug in our beds,
While visions of eclipses danced in our heads.
Mojo with his Kindle and I with my (Kindle for Android) app,
Had just settled down for an astronomers nap.
When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew all a jitter,
I tweeted the news to my followers on Twitter.
The full moon had risen, no clouds hid the glow,
Earth’s shadow was hiding the moon! What a show!
The kitties were playing with treats filled with catnips
And we had a treat, too! A full lunar eclipse!
The eclipse was soon over, sunrise would be quick
I knew right away we had star views to pick.
More rapid than photons, the targets they came,
We aimed and we pointed and called them by name.
“Now, Castor and Pollux, and Procyon, Capella!
On Aldebaran, and Sirius, Betelgeuse, the red fella 
That takes us around the big winter stars,
There’s Jupiter, and Saturn, and dusky red Mars.
As red flashlights that before the dawns morning light,
Brilliantly flicker and soon are a memory bright,
A new wonder would paint the dark sky to pale blue,
The sunrise was nearing and morning twilight was too.
And then in a twinkling, I heard on the roof,
The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.
As I stepped from the telescope and was turning around,
Near the chimney the stranger appeared with a bound.
He looked like an astronomer, bundled from head to his foot,
Like a stargazer his clothes were all tarnished with soot.
A bundle of toys he had flung on his back,
Looked just like my telescope accessory pack.
His eyes – how they twinkled! his dimples how merry!
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry.
He looked like we do after a cold winter starshow
Freezing but happy from the Milky Way glow.
The stump of a flashlight held tight in his teeth
Its soft red glow circled his head like a wreath
I asked him if he’d ever looked closely at Venus
“I’m working at night, I’ve no time for, um, the planets.”
He stepped away from the eyepiece, a right jolly old elf,
And I smiled as he gasped, in spite of myself.
He tapped on his keyboard, and then he pressed send
My vibrating phone welcomed a new Facebook friend.
I wanted his picture to hang in my cube,
And video to post (here’s my NASA vid) on YouTube.
But too quickly he pressed his finger to nose,
After checking his Google Maps app to the chimney he rose.
He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.
But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight,
Good eclipsing to all and to all a moon night.
My apologies to Major Henry Livingston Jr. 1748 – 1828, author of ‘Twas
the Night before Christmas or Account of a Visit from St. Nicholas.
Previously erroneously believed to be written by Clement Clarke Moore.