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Get your cameras ready...

PostPosted: Mon Aug 27, 2007 3:31 am
by freedomhays
DENVER (AP) - 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.

Re: Get your cameras ready...

PostPosted: Mon Aug 27, 2007 3:32 am
by spitfire boy
I remember that first lunar eclipse - quite a spectacular thing!! :D

Re: Get your cameras ready...

PostPosted: Tue Aug 28, 2007 2:41 am
by glennlcasey
Hey there, well i'm in the north west of Western Australia, so when the moon rises for me, in roughly 2 1/2 hours, it will be entering the total stage. so as the sun sets for me, i'll have a nice purply sky with a red moon sitting above some green hills. very alien. also a good way to test out my new digital SLR

Re: Get your cameras ready...

PostPosted: Tue Aug 28, 2007 5:47 am
by Mitch.
I am watching this live, right outside my backdoor!

Re: Get your cameras ready...

PostPosted: Tue Aug 28, 2007 8:33 am
by beaky
Had to miss it this time, as it was between 3-5AM where I am right now. Sure looked promising though... the full moon was gorgeous right before I hit the hay...

Re: Get your cameras ready...

PostPosted: Tue Aug 28, 2007 8:58 am
by freedomhays
It was beautifull here in Maryland but the moon was setting and the sun was rising  before it was over so didn't get to see the whole thing.
I took some pics but I wasn't really ready,  my chargables ran out at the third pic and the other two aren't worth posting.

Re: Get your cameras ready...

PostPosted: Tue Aug 28, 2007 11:58 am
by Mictheslik
Everybody loves lunar eclipses ;)

Image

.mic

Re: Get your cameras ready...

PostPosted: Tue Aug 28, 2007 2:32 pm
by alrot
I missed  :-[ didn't know it  :'(

Re: Get your cameras ready...

PostPosted: Tue Aug 28, 2007 3:33 pm
by freedomhays
Everybody loves lunar eclipses ;)

Image

.mic


Alright!  Looking good,  I hope more are posted. :D

Re: Get your cameras ready...

PostPosted: Tue Aug 28, 2007 4:15 pm
by Mictheslik
Everybody loves lunar eclipses ;)

Image

.mic


Alright!  Looking good,  I hope more are posted. :D


Those were taken in March ;)

.mic

Re: Get your cameras ready...

PostPosted: Tue Aug 28, 2007 4:39 pm
by freedomhays
Everybody loves lunar eclipses ;)

Image

.mic


Alright!

Re: Get your cameras ready...

PostPosted: Tue Aug 28, 2007 4:44 pm
by Mushroom_Farmer
Eh, I'm sleeping in and will watch it on the local news later, and refreshed. ;D