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

my son was born during the total lunar eclipse in 2000. Everyone else ran outside to see it

ZombieKitten said:

Do you follow astrology at all - meaning do you know about his natal chart and being born under a toatl lunar eclipse ?

Mach said:

No, I have no idea what it means.

ZombieKitten said:

Gets out her witchcraft books

I think it means he cries a lot

Found this link and found it interesting http://www.youngscientist...clipse.htm

omg it is 2011!

ZombieKitten said:

Freaky huh??

chilli we have to run outside to look at 19:52 tomorrow! It's gonna be good!

chillichocaholic said:

Try this one too zombie http://www.astrologycom.com/moon.html

chillichocaholic said:

thanks! I don't understand all this stuff though

ZombieKitten said:

I think it basically means ure son is a force to be reckoned with

chillichocaholic said:

a bit like Damien Omen?

ZombieKitten said:

LOL nooooo in a good way

is mach coming back d'ya think?

ZombieKitten said:

Mach ran off and left us

I'm here

Mach said:

Tuesday morning, Aug. 28 brings us the second total lunar eclipse of 2007. Those living in the Western Hemisphere and eastern Asia will be able to partake in at least some of this sky show.



The very best viewing region for viewing this eclipse will fall across the Pacific Rim, including the West Coast of the United States and Canada, as well as Alaska, Hawaii, New Zealand and eastern Australia. All these places will be able to see the complete eclipse from start to finish.


Europeans will miss out on the entire show, as the Moon will be below the horizon during their mid and late morning hours.


What to look for


The eclipse will begin when the Moon enters the faint outer portion, or penumbra, of the Earth's shadow about an hour before it begins moving into the umbra. The penumbra, however, is all but invisible to the eye until the Moon becomes deeply immersed in it. Look for a slight hint of shading or smudginess on the eastern (left) edge of the lunar disk about 40 minutes after the Moon first enters the penumbral shadow.


The most obvious part of the eclipse will be when the Moon is passing through the dark umbral shadow of the Earth. On this occasion, the full Moon will track just to the south of the center of the Earth's umbra; deep path almost through the center of the umbra which will result in a total phase lasting an unusually long 1 hour 30 minutes (the maximum possible is 1 hour 47 minutes).


Because some of the sunlight striking our planet is diffused and scattered by our atmosphere, the Earth's shadow is not entirely dark. Enough of this light reaches the Moon to give it a faint orange or reddish glow even when it's totally eclipsed.


At greatest eclipse the Moon's southern limb will pass 1,039 mi. (1,672 km.) from the outer edge of the dark shadow. This should produce a relatively dark eclipse, with the Moon glowing a dull coppery color along its lower portion and a deep brown or gray over its upper portion. SPACE.com encourages viewers to estimate the Danjon value - a five-point scale of lunar luminosity ("L") to classify eclipses - at mid-totality.


The Moon enters the umbra at 4:51 a.m. EDT (1:51 a.m. PDT). Totality begins at 5:32 EDT (2:52 PDT) and ends after sunrise on the East coast and at 4:22 a.m. PDT.


Where you can see it


As for the region of visibility for this eclipse, it pretty much is the "flip side" of the last eclipse, in March: Whereas Africa, Europe and western Asia had ringside seats for that late-winter spectacle, this time they are completely out of luck. The timing of the eclipse comes during their late morning and early afternoon hours, with the eclipsed Moon below the horizon.


Conversely, almost the entire Pacific Ocean is turned toward the Moon during this August eclipse. In fact, at mid-totality the Moon will appear directly overhead for a spot over the open waters of the Pacific, roughly 1,800 mi. (2,900 km.) south of Hawaii.


And whereas, for the March lunar eclipse those near and along the Pacific Rim could catch a brief view at dawn, while the Americas view coincided with moonrise, in August we are presented with the converse of these circumstances. For the eclipse will already be underway at moonrise for Japan and much of Australia on the evening of Aug. 28.


The rest of eastern Asia will either have the Moon rise during totality, or will see it as it is exiting the Earth's shadow.


But from North America, the eclipse occurs during the early morning hours of Aug. 28.


The Canadian Maritimes will miss totality, as the Moon will set in partial eclipse before it begins.


Across the eastern third of the United States, moonset arrives in the midst of the total phase. So, less than six months after easterners watched the Moon rise during totality, comes the opportunity to be treated to the sight of the Moon setting during totality! However, thanks to advancing morning twilight, plus horizon haze, for those living in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic States it is likely that the dim Moon (some 10,000 times fainter than a normal full Moon) will more-or-less vanish from view near or just after the onset of totality.


Over the central states, the Moon will set in partial eclipse, while emerging from the umbra; the farther west, the less of the Moon so covered. An interesting observation for watchers in this zone who have an unobstructed eastern and western horizon is to attempt seeing the partially eclipsed setting Moon and the rising Sun at the same time. The Moon will remain above the horizon for a few minutes after sunup.

From the western states, all umbral stages will be visible before moonset affording the best views of totality (in a dark sky) within the contiguous states and more than making up for being completely shut-out of a view of last March's eclipse. And Alaska and Hawaii will see the eclipse happen in the middle of their night. Mid-totality for Anchorage comes at 1:37 a.m. Alaskan Daylight Time and for Honolulu at 12:37 a.m. Hawaii Standard Time.

Coming attraction:

Should clouds interfere with your attempt to view Tuesday's eclipse, you won't have very long to wait for the next opportunity. That will come just under six months from now, on the night of Feb. 20-21. Another total lunar eclipse (the third in less than a year's time) will be visible throughout much of North and South America as well as Europe, Africa and parts of western Asia.

yay!!!!! I live on the west coast

the sky has a spooky thin cloud cover here tonight
guess i won't be able to see it

omg the moon went red!!!!

ZombieKitten said:

it was blushing

this is the one from the night Oscar was born.

ZombieKitten said:

australia has three moons!

jami0mckay said:

I wish I had a telescope

ZombieKitten said:

I wish I just saw it!

ZombieKitten said:

make one!

MoniGram said: