Tonight: Total Lunar Eclipse
A total lunar eclipse will take place tonight [Dec 20/21], and experts say it will be visible in the Northern hemisphere from around 2:30am to approximately 6am [Bermuda time].
A lunar eclipse occurs when the moon passes behind the earth so that the earth blocks the sun’s rays from striking the moon. This can occur only when the Sun, Earth and Moon are aligned exactly, or very closely so, with the Earth in the middle.
It will be the first total lunar eclipse in nearly 3 years, the last being on February 20, 2008. It is the second of two lunar eclipses in 2010, following a partial lunar eclipse on June 26.
According to NASA “The eclipse occurs at the Moon’s descending node in eastern Taurus, four days before perigee.” This simulation shows the approximate appearance of the Moon as it passes through the penumbral and umbral shadows of the Earth. It combines the subtle red glowing light inside the umbral shadow with the smaller dimming in the penumbral shadow.
The video below was shot through a telescope every 5 minutes, and shows a total lunar eclipse as seen from Honolulu, Hawaii:
