There will be a lunar eclipse this Saturday, March 3rd, a total one! Most excellent. From spaceweather.com:
Set aside some time this weekend for sky watching. On Saturday night, March 3rd, there's going to be a total lunar eclipse. What will it look like? Doug Murray of Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, took this picture during a similar eclipse in 2004: (pic posted above)
This weekend's eclipse will be visible from parts of all seven continents: map. Europe and Africa are favored. People there will see Earth's red shadow swallow the Moon for more than an hour around 23:21 GMT: animation.
Here in the United States, you have to be in the eastern half of the country to witness totality. At the end of the day on Saturday, go outside and face east. As the sun sets behind your back, a red Moon will rise before your eyes--fantastic! Maximum eclipse is at 6:21 p.m. EST.
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6 comments:
I'm bummed. From my location the moon will have already emerged from the umbra at monnrise. At least you have a shot at a seeing a little of the fully eclipsed moon.
Backyard Astronomer
Where are you?
I'm thinking I won't see the eclipse either, but I'm hoping to see a red moon. (and that it won't be cloudy here).
I'm in Phoenix. Just a little too far west for this eclipse. To really see a red moon its best if the moon is still fully in the umbra. Once the moon gets out of the umbra the extra light tends to wash out the color. Your best bet is to try to look at it just as its rising. You might want to scout out a place with an unobstructed eastern horizon before Saturday.
Backyard Astronomer
so we won't see it in the Austin area, 4lg?
when you say moonrise, do you mean at the actual horizon?
Now that I have looked at the info again, it looks like the moon will already be coming out of the total eclipse phase at moonrise for Austin. (Totality ends at 5:58pm CST, Moon leaves umbra at 7:11pm CST, Moon rise for Austin is at 6:30pm CST) You might see some red in the shadowed part of the moon. I suppose that the moon will be reddish just from being on the horizon.
Backyard Astronomer
Drat and bother!!! I am a bad Witch - just recalled the eclipse and it's two hours ago...!!!
Arrggh! Well, I will do my spellwork anyway, it's all about intention. Love that pic! Probably wasn't much to see here in the Houston Metro area anyway, either.
The downside to being a solitary eclectic...no group to plan something better.
Storm Moon blessings y'all!
Elspeth
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