Tonight's Lunar Eclipse

We will have a rare opportunity tonight, when the moon enters into a state of full eclipse! This will be the last time, until December 20, 2010, that we will be able to enjoy this unique sight. As long as the weather doesn't interfere, this lunar eclipse should be visible from North and South America, as well as Europe and Africa. For those of us blessed with clear skies tonight, it should be a spectacular sight! As the moonlight dims, the planet Saturn and a bright star called Regulus will be visible on either side of the moon. For those viewing this phenomenon through a telescope, Saturn's rings are expected to be clearly visible.

For those unfamiliar with the term "lunar eclipse", this is what we call it when the full moon passes into the earth's shadow. The moon is then unable to reflect the sun's rays as it usually does. It does not give off its own light, so while it is in the earth's shadow it will appear to be very dark. Although it will be shadowed, a small amount of indirect sunlight will still reach it after passing through our atmosphere. The moon's color will be affected by the amount of dust and clouds that are present in the earth's atmosphere at the time. This will cause the moon to appear as a reddish, orange color, and it may even be more of a brown or gray.

We will be able to view the lunar eclipse with the naked eye. Although protective eyewear is needed to view an eclipse of the sun, it is not needed to view an eclipse of the moon. This eclipse is expected to last approximately one hour. We can look for it to begin around 7 pm on the West Coast of the United States, and 10 pm on the East Coast. The beginning of the eclipse may not be visible to those of us on the West Coast, as it may occur before the moon has risen into our view. However, as it rises in the sky, we should be able to enjoy this rare experience.