Wednesday, February 20, 2008

Total Lunar Eclipse Tonight

 Updated 3/2017-- photos and all links removed as many are no longer active and it's easier than checking each one.

There will be a total eclipse of the moon tonight, February 20. If we don't get rain here in central Arkansas, we should have a good view. Alas, they're calling for cloudy skies here.
"In the Americas, the Atlantic, Europe and Africa, people have a ringside seat to tonight’s total eclipse. But in Asia, Australia and New Zealand, the eclipse occurs during daylight hours, when the eclipsed moon will be beneath the horizon as seen from that part of the world.
The moon is totally submerged in Earth’s shadow from 3:01 to 3:51 Universal Time Thursday morning, February 21. For North America, that means the total lunar eclipse is Wednesday evening, from 9:01 to 9:51 p.m. Central Time.
The total lunar eclipse lasts for some 50 minutes, though the moon is partially eclipsed for over an hour before and after the central totality. The eclipse lasts almost 3 and 1/2 hours from start to finish. The moon can pass through Earth’s shadow only when it’s directly opposite the sun in Earth’s sky in the constellation Leo." -- Earth & Sky
Here is a great explanation and great photos of lunar eclipse at MrEclipse.com
Here's the time line of the eclipse for where I live (from NASA).






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