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A Dawn Eclipse of the Moon - Observing Blog - SkyandTelescope.com
If you're anywhere in central or western North America, mark your calendar to get up early on Saturday, December 10th.
That morning the full Moon goes through its last total eclipse until 2014.
(If you're on the East Coast or in Europe, you can sleep in that day.)
Here are key locations during December's total lunar eclipse.
Because an eclipsed Moon is always full, the Sun sets or rises at almost the same time on the opposite horizon.
This means that moonrise or moonset will happen in a bright sky.
As the map shows, the farther west you are in the Americas, the better your prospects.
From the Pacific time zone you can watch the Moon slip into Earth's shadow completely, while the Moon is sinking low in the west-northwest.
In the Northwest you can even see the Moon start to emerge from our planet's shadow before moonset and sunrise end the show.
From roughly Arizona to the Dakotas, the Moon sets while still totally eclipsed —
though horizon obstructions and the brightening dawn might end your view somewhat before then.
In the Central time zone the Moon sets while still only partially eclipsed.
Those farther east miss out completely.
Observers in the Pacific, Australia, and East Asia have it better.
Seen from there, the whole eclipse happens high in a dark sky from start to finish.
For Europe and Africa, the eclipsed Moon will be lower in the east during or after dusk on the evening of the 10th.
(some better times shown at the above link)
Peace,
dave
If you're anywhere in central or western North America, mark your calendar to get up early on Saturday, December 10th.
That morning the full Moon goes through its last total eclipse until 2014.
(If you're on the East Coast or in Europe, you can sleep in that day.)
Here are key locations during December's total lunar eclipse.
Because an eclipsed Moon is always full, the Sun sets or rises at almost the same time on the opposite horizon.
This means that moonrise or moonset will happen in a bright sky.
As the map shows, the farther west you are in the Americas, the better your prospects.
From the Pacific time zone you can watch the Moon slip into Earth's shadow completely, while the Moon is sinking low in the west-northwest.
In the Northwest you can even see the Moon start to emerge from our planet's shadow before moonset and sunrise end the show.
From roughly Arizona to the Dakotas, the Moon sets while still totally eclipsed —
though horizon obstructions and the brightening dawn might end your view somewhat before then.
In the Central time zone the Moon sets while still only partially eclipsed.
Those farther east miss out completely.
Observers in the Pacific, Australia, and East Asia have it better.
Seen from there, the whole eclipse happens high in a dark sky from start to finish.
For Europe and Africa, the eclipsed Moon will be lower in the east during or after dusk on the evening of the 10th.
(some better times shown at the above link)
Peace,
dave
