Today, June 15, 2011, will bring a spectacular, and rare, total lunar eclipse that will be visible all across the Eastern Hemisphere, from start to finish in some places, which is a real bonus for avid sky watchers and the general public alike as not all eclipses of the Moon are so conveniently timed. So, with the eclipse being visible all over such a wide area, what can one expect to see, skies permitting.
At first glance to people not familiar with astronomy, the phases near totality may not look that different than any thin crescent Moon, except that the thin crescent is high in the sky and not near the horizon. However, the other partial stages produce some strange looking Moons that cannot be seen at any other time.
When the Moon first enters the umbra (the dark part of the Earth's shadow), a slight, rounded corner of the Moon will start to disappear into shadow. As time progresses, the shaded, curved section of the Moon will get larger and larger,looking like an unnaturally fat crescent until the Moon nears full coverage, at which point the Moon looks like a familiar thin crescent except for it's high in the sky location. However the real treat comes at totality, or full coverage.
A few minutes before totality, the Moon will the on a distinctly reddish hue. Why? The sunlight coming through the atmosphere is scattered by the particles, both natural and man-made, floating in the air. Result: the most wavelengths of color are reflected away from the Moon, except for the reds, which continue on and fall on the Moon, thus giving it the shade of color unique to eclipses. In total, totality of this eclipse will last a little over an hour and a half, the longest in 11 years, before the Moon starts to move out of the umbra, thus beginning a reverse partial stage.
Now, where to see the eclipse?
The great news is that, since this is an event involving the Moon, the eclipse can be observed from anywhere, even in brightly lit city. However, to get the full impact of the eclipse, traveling out to the country is a good idea. Anyone who has ever been out in a dark field on a moonless night knows how dark it can be and how night seemingly turns to day the moment a Full Moon peeks over the horizon. Well, in a total lunar eclipse, things will work in reverse as the bright, Moonlit sky will essentially become a dark, Moonless night as totality nears. Basically, the effect must be seen to be believed, so try and get out to the country if at all possible tonight.
Now for more good news: this eclipse could be unusually spectacular. First of all, the Moon will be moving through the center of Earth's shadow, which means for a long and, in all probability, dark eclipse. On top of that, thanks to recent volcanic activity, dust in the atmosphere could further darken the Moon to a point where it pretty much disappears like it did back in 1992.
Don't live in the Eastern Hemisphere? Well, never fret, you can watch the eclipse live and as of this writing, it has officially started, too!
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