Total Lunar Eclipse to Occur on Tuesday

[Amelia]

Total Lunar Eclipse to Occur on Tuesday

Aug 26, 2007

By COLLEEN SLEVIN

DENVER (AP) - The Earth's shadow will creep across the moon's surface early Tuesday, slowly eclipsing it and turning it shades of orange and red. The total lunar eclipse, the second this year, will be visible in North and South America, especially in the West. People in the Pacific islands, eastern Asia, Australia and New Zealand also will be able to view it if skies are clear.

People in Europe, Africa or the Middle East, who had the best view of the last total lunar eclipse in March, won't see this one because the moon will have set when the eclipse begins at 4:51 a.m. EDT. It will take an hour to reach full eclipse stage.

An eclipse occurs when Earth passes between the sun and the moon, blocking the sun's light. It's rare because the moon is usually either above or below the plane of Earth's orbit.

Since the Earth is bigger than the moon, the process of the Earth's shadow taking a bigger and bigger "bite" out of the moon, totally eclipsing it before the shadow recedes, lasts about 3 1/2 hours, said Doug Duncan, director of the University of Colorado's Fiske Planetarium. The total eclipse phase, in which the moon has an orange or reddish glow, lasts about 1 1/2 hours.

The full eclipse will be visible across the United States, but East Coast viewers will only have about a half-hour to see it before the sun begins to rise and the moon sets. Skywatchers in the West will get the full show.

In eastern Asia, the moon will rise in various stages of eclipse.

During the full eclipse, the moon won't be completely dark because some light still reaches it around the edges of the Earth. The light is refracted as it passes through our atmosphere, scattering blue light - which is why the sky is blue - but sending reddish light onto the moon.

"When someone asks why is it (the moon) red, you can say because the sky is blue," Duncan said.

The next total lunar eclipse occurs Feb. 21, 2008, and will be visible from the Americas, Europe and Asia.

NASA's Lunar Eclipse page

http://sunearth.gsfc.nasa.gov/eclipse/LEmono/TLE2007Aug28/TLE2007Aug28.html

[Bravus]

We're lucky here, because the time difference across the Pacific means the eclipse is from about 5:30 pm (just after sunset in Brisbane) until about 9:30 pm. Perfect timing for kids to watch what should be a pretty amazing event.

[Amelia]

Yeah, I wont be getting up that early. I've seen a lunar eclipse before. Not one this long but who is going to watch the whole thing?

[Amelia]

Full moon rising.

[Nan]

Well I am sitting at the computer looking through the window at a moon about half 'eclipsed'. We may have missed the meteor shower but we are getting full value with this, it is a clear, beautiful night.

[Amelia]

Moon in totality.

[Dr. Shane]

We got up super early to watch it and it was too cloudy so we didn't see anything but a few stars.

[darlene]

I awoke several times throughout the night (even set my alarm clock once). The sky was totally clear and I saw the moon when the first little shadow appeared, then when it was almost completely covered and the third time I had to go outside because I couldn't see the moon at first. It was very dark and the last time I got up the shadow had crossed to the other side and a portion of it was becoming it's regular brightness. I'm glad I was able to watch it's progression of the eclipse but, now I'm having to go to bed early so I can catch up on the sleep I lost!

[John317]

I work all night near Palm Spring, CA. I was able to watch the whole eclipse through binoculars from about 1:30 AM to 4:00 AM, PST. It was an amazing sight.

[Bravus]

Saw it on a very pleasant evening walk with my daughters last night (Sue was working, unfortunately). Too cool!

[Denise]

We seen this as well! It was an awesome sight! We were in Florida at the time. We slept at my parent's house that night, and had to rise and shine at 4:30 am to head back home from our Florida vacation. Was able to watch it with my parents some, and watched it the rest of the way driving back home. Was very beautiful!

[Planey]

It was at a very convenient time where we live, from just after sunset till about 9 pm. I was in my cyborg phase for the first half (made my wife duck outside to check frequently during this time) but saw everything from totality till the finish. Awesome!

Graeme

[Jeannieb43]

Thanks everybody for those good descriptions.

I was in AZ and we didn't get up in the middle of the night to watch it. Besides, it never cools down in AZ, so the nighttime is almost as hot as the daytime -- and it had been 115 degrees F. that day.

I love watching a moon become eclipsed, however. Your descriptions made me be able to imagine it just great.

And, Nan, speaking of the meteor shower... That was a complete bust here in Sou Cal. The sky was too overcast, or something. Never saw a single meteor even though I was watching for about a half hour. Oh well.