Total Eclipse of the Moon Comes Saturday
Posted on March 2, 2007
Filed Under Science
LONDON — The moon will turn shades of amber and crimson Saturday night as it passes behind the Earth’s shadow _ the first total lunar eclipse in three years.
The eclipse will be at least partly visible from Asia to the Americas, although residents of Europe, Africa and the Middle East will have the best view.
Lunar eclipses occur when Earth passes between the sun and the moon, blocking the sun’s light. The event is rare because the moon spends most of its time either above or below the plane of Earth’s orbit.
Although it will pass completely under Earth’s shadow, light from the sun will still reach the moon after being refracted through Earth’s atmosphere, giving the moon an eerie dark reddish tinge.
“It’s not an event that has any scientific value, but it’s something everybody can enjoy,” said Robert Massey of the Royal Astronomical Society.
Earth’s shadow will begin moving across the Moon at 2018GMT Saturday, with the total eclipse occurring at 2244GMT and lasting over an hour.
Comments
Leave a Reply