Total lunar eclipse early Tuesday

[AlteredStateGrl]

Total lunar eclipse early Tuesday



By COLLEEN SLEVIN, Associated Press Writer
Sun Aug 26, 7:46 PM ET



DENVER - The Earth's shadow will creep across the moon's surface early Tuesday, slowly eclipsing it and turning it to 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 partial eclipse begins at 4:51 a.m. EDT. The full eclipse will begin an hour later at 5:52 a.m. EDT.

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.

Total lunar eclipse early Tuesday - Yahoo! News

[№1]

Sweet, I'll be somewhere between Palmdale and Bakersfield, probably just outside of Mojave on 58. I should have one outta site view!

[AlteredStateGrl]

Kickass! You're gonna have the best seat in the house! Lucky! I'll be able to see it pretty good too I think.

[Blue_Dolphin]

I might have to take a drive up to the hillcountry... I want to see this. It's so freakin' awesome to think about it happening.

Thanks for the info ASG! <3

[№1]

Originally Posted by AlteredStateGrl

Kickass! You're gonna have the best seat in the house! Lucky!

Yes I did! It started shading up around 2:00 am, really got in the dark about three, three fifteen. Fully in the shadows for a solid hour and forty minutes, I was passing Pyramid Lake and it was shinning across the water with just a small bite left out of the bottom almost touching the mountain tops, first lights just breaking on the other side. Fucking awesome!

[BearsysRevenge]

well I just gotta say, that picture is sweet.

[higherthanamile]

Two pics that I snapped last night....

HTAM

[Cerebro]

it was very hard to photograph, I dont think I got any decent pics.

[higherthanamile]

Originally Posted by Cerebro

it was very hard to photograph, I dont think I got any decent pics.

Truer word have never been spoken....those where the best two of 50+ pictures.

No tripod at my disposal was a mutha fucka.

HTAM

[Cerebro]

i started taking pics when half was gone, and had the shits with the difficulties I was having so gave up approaching total eclipse. I'll post a pic for a laugh once I've put them on the pc.

[SmokeSomeDoja]

nice, sunny, clear weather before the eclipse. the day of the eclipse, started nice, but by the afternoon, completely swamped with fog. the day after the eclipse, beautiful, clear weather.

never fails.