Totality lasts slightly more than an hour, ending at 12:53 a.m. ![]() The intensity of the color will depend on how clear Earth’s atmosphere is along the periphery through which sunlight is passing volcanic ash, dust, smoke, and other pollution will cause the shadow to be darker and the color less pronounced. This is because Earth’s shadow isn’t black – refracted by Earth’s atmosphere, the light of all the sunrises and sunsets taking place on Earth at that moment are bent inward to fill the shadow, tinting the Moon. ![]() This is when the Moon looks like a glowing, red coal hanging in the night sky. Totality – when the Moon is completely-immersed in the shadow, begins at 11:40 p.m. When the Moon is about halfway into the shadow, the curvature of the shadow’s edge will be evident – the visual clue understood by Aristotle in 400 BC to indicate that Earth is a sphere, casting a round shadow no matter what direction the Sun’s light is coming from. Observers will be able to see the shadow slowly creep across the Moon’s face, moving from the Ocean of Storms on the Moon’s western hemisphere toward the Sea of Crises to the east. The more noticeable umbral eclipse starts at 10:32 pm PST, when the Moon starts to enter the darkest part of our planet’s shadow, the umbra. PST, but this part of the eclipse won’t be obvious, since the penumbra is so pale. The Moon enters Earth’s penumbra – the faint, outer fringe of its shadow – at 9:29 p.m. Weather-permitting, the eclipse will be visible in its entirety from North America. And in 1504, Christopher Columbus, while stranded on Jamaica, used his knowledge of an upcoming eclipse to take advantage of native superstitions and coerce locals to keep him and his crew supplied until he was rescued. Later, the philosophers of ancient Greece used the event to determine the spherical shape of Earth. This event, a total lunar eclipse, was frightening to ancients, who thought that it represented blood on the Moon – the result of a terrible battle in the heavens. Looking through a telescope or binoculars is not necessary as the moon will be clearly visible, weather permitting of course.Late in the evening of December 20 th and into the early morning hours of the 21 st, the full Moon will pass through the center of Earth’s dark, reddish shadow, turning a rusty, brick-colored hue. ![]() Unlike solar eclipses-where the moon's shadow obscures the Sun-total lunar eclipses can be viewed safely with the naked eye. EST on January 20 and will last until 00:53 a.m. The full eclipse will begin at 11:41 p.m. Being the first full moon of the year, it is also referred to as a "wolf moon."įor viewers in North America, there won't be another total lunar eclipse until May 2021, so it's well worth checking it out from an outdoor observation point if you are able to-preferably somewhere away from artificial lighting. Thus, once the moon is fully covered by the shadow, it will appear a dramatic reddish-brown color-what's known as a blood moon. This light is scattered in the process and turns red before striking the moon. Some light from the Sun which is not directly blocked by our planet is refracted through the atmosphere. The moon will become darker however, it will not completely disappear. Total lunar eclipses-which occur slightly more frequently than once every two years-are when the Earth passes directly between the Sun and the moon, creating a shadow which partially obscures our natural satellite from our perspective on the planet's surface. ![]() At these times it appears brighter and larger than a normal full moon. "Supermoon" is a term used to describe the moon when it is full and at its closest point to Earth. In addition, will be providing a live stream on their YouTube Channel, with coverage starting at 10:00 p.m.īut what exactly are supermoons and total lunar eclipses? Robotic telescope service Slooh will be streaming the eclipse on their website as well as their Facebook page, with coverage beginning at 10:30 p.m. If you would like to follow the event online, some sites are providing live coverage of the event: Read more: Super blood moon is coming-total solar eclipse and supermoon converging explained The event will be visible to stargazers in the U.S., Canada, South America as well as parts of Europe, Asia and Africa. A spectacular astronomical event is set to take place in the evening of January 20 and early morning of the 21 when a supermoon and total lunar eclipse coincide
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