Quote:
Originally Posted by BruceZ
Hope for better weather on the night of April 14-15 for the total lunar eclipse visible from North America.
http://www.astronomy.com/observing/s...lipse-april-15
From above link:
If you’re dreading the deadline for filing your taxes in the U.S., the sky will provide a distraction in the early morning hours of April 15. That’s when we’ll experience the first total lunar eclipse in 28 months.
Observers throughout North and South America will have the prime views of this eclipse. Those in the western Pacific will miss the first half of the eclipse because it occurs before the Moon rises. Likewise, most of Europe and Africa will experience moonset just as the eclipse begins.
A lunar eclipse occurs when the Sun, Earth, and the Moon line up. During such times, the Moon passes through Earth’s shadow, and where it passes determines the type of eclipse we’ll see.
Our planet’s shadow has two parts: a darker inner section called the umbra and a lighter outer region called the penumbra. When the Moon passes through only the penumbra, we experience a penumbral eclipse. When only some of it passes through the umbra, we see a partial eclipse. Sometimes, however, all of the Moon passes through the umbra, creating a total lunar eclipse. That’s what’s happening on the 15th.
The event starts at 12:54 a.m. EDT as the Moon enters the penumbra of Earth’s shadow. Most observers won’t even notice any change in our satellite’s appearance for at least a half-hour after this time.
Things begin to heat up at 1:58 a.m. EDT. That’s when the Moon first hits Earth’s umbral shadow and the partial phase begins. For more than an hour you’ll see the dark part grow until totality begins at 3:07 a.m. EDT.
Totality lasts 78 minutes, until 4:25 a.m. EDT. The partial phase is over at 5:33 a.m. EDT, and the penumbral phase — and this eclipse — ends at 6:38 a.m. EDT.
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This illustration shows the main events that will occur during the total lunar eclipse April 15. In addition to the times listed on the diagram, mid-eclipse occurs at 3:46 A.M. EDT. Note that in some time zones, events may occur before midnight, so if you live in one of those, the date will be April 14.