Coming Feb. 20: Total Eclipse of the Moon

[Ban Hammer 13,352]

Mark Wednesday, Feb. 20, on your calendar as "Lunar Eclipse Night," for if the weather is fair you should have no difficulty observing a total eclipse of the moon.

The eclipse will be visible wherever the moon is above the horizon during the time frame that the eclipse is taking place. As it turns out, North and South America will turned toward the moon and will be in excellent position for this sky show.

Europe, Africa and a part of western Asia will also be able to see the eclipse, although for these regions the event will take place in hours just before sunrise on the morning of Feb. 21.

All told, given clear skies, about three billion potential eclipse viewers will be able to partake in the spectacle of the full moon becoming completely immersed in the Earth's shadow.

This will be the third total lunar eclipse within the past year. The previous two favored different parts of North America, but this one will be readily visible from start-to-finish across much of the continent, weather permitting.

The total phase will last 51-minutes and begins at 10:01 p.m. EST (7:01 p.m. PST).

Because some of the sunlight striking the Earth is diffused and scattered by our atmosphere, the Earth's shadow is not completely dark. Typically there are coppery red and orange hues cast over the moon at and near totality from sunlight refracted from our atmosphere around the edge of the Earth, giving the moon the appearance of an eerie glowing ball.

As a bonus, during the eclipse the moon will be situated, in our sky, near the planet Saturn and the bright bluish star Regulus in the constellation of Leo. The effect will be to create a uniquely beautiful triangle in the sky consisting of the totally eclipsed moon, a bright naked-eye planet and one of the 21 brightest stars in the sky.

link

[Nessa 23]

cool

[AnewKINDofFEELIN 0]

I will be staring at it.

[Miranda&James 8]

Great, now Total Eclipse of the Heart is stuck in my head

This will be very cool to watch!!

[Craneman 2]

This is Great News

Watched the total eclipse last year from Barra do Jucu, Brasil with my beautiful lady.

Flying to Brasil to visit her next week.

Arrive in Vitoria Feb 19.

Did not plan it this way but must be fate.

Sit on the beach again in the warm ocean breeze.

Muito Bom!

[Amby 490]

oh cool! now if I can only remember to watch it

[Ban Hammer 13,352]

Great, now Total Eclipse of the Heart is stuck in my head

This will be very cool to watch!!

well total eclipse of the moon probably has a whole nuther meaning

[Miranda&James 8]

Great, now Total Eclipse of the Heart is stuck in my head

This will be very cool to watch!!

well total eclipse of the moon probably has a whole nuther meaning

Speaking of the moon, last night it looked like a giant toenail clipping in the sky I don't know which is better, a "moon" or a toenail!

[Peikko 1,575]

I may hike up Chino hills to view this which would be totally cool. Shame it is not on a Friday though, school in the morning for the youngun and all. Really, the solar system should be more accommodating .

[Dr. A ♥ O 203]

We'll be watching from the Palouse.

[Mags 112]

Bumping cause it's tomorrow!

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Bonnie Tyler is making a comeback?

[Mags 112]

Bonnie Tyler is making a comeback?

D'oh!

[eau_xplain 2]

Yay! Thanks for bumping this up mags! I didn't see this the first time.

[nannygirl82 0]

Great, now Total Eclipse of the Heart is stuck in my head

This will be very cool to watch!!

well total eclipse of the moon probably has a whole nuther meaning