Log In | Register
6 Comments
Printadvertisement
LOS ANGELES — The last total lunar eclipse until 2010 occurs Wednesday night, with cameo appearances by Saturn and the bright star Regulus on either side of the veiled full moon.
Skywatchers viewing through a telescope will have the added treat of seeing Saturn's handsome rings.
Weather permitting, the total eclipse can be seen from North and South America. People in Europe and Africa will be able to see it high in the sky before dawn on Thursday.
As the moonlight dims — it won't go totally dark — Saturn and Regulus will pop out and sandwich the moon. Regulus is the brightest star in the constellation Leo.
Jack Horkheimer, host of the PBS show "Star Gazer," called the event "the moon, the lord of the rings and heart of the lion eclipse."
Wednesday's event will be the last total lunar eclipse until Dec. 20, 2010. Last year there were two.
The weather could be a spoiler for many in the United States. Cloudy skies are expected for most of the Western states with a chance of snow from the heartland to the East Coast, said Stuart Seto of the National Weather Service.
"It looks like it's going to be a hard one to spot," Seto said.
A total lunar eclipse occurs when the full moon passes into Earth's shadow and is blocked from the sun's rays that normally illuminate it. During an eclipse, the sun, Earth and moon line up, leaving a darkened moon visible to observers on the night side of the planet.
The moon doesn't go black because indirect sunlight still reaches it after passing through the Earth's atmosphere. Since the atmosphere filters out blue light, the indirect light that reaches the moon transforms it into a reddish or orange tinge, depending on how much dust and cloud cover are in the atmosphere at the time.
Wednesday's total eclipse phase will last nearly an hour. Earth's shadow is expected to blot out the moon beginning around 7 p.m. on the West Coast and 10 p.m. on the East Coast. West Coast skygazers will miss the start of the eclipse because it occurs before the moon rises.
Unlike solar eclipses which require protective eyewear, lunar eclipses are safe to view with the naked eye.
Later this year, in August, there will be a total solar eclipse and a partial lunar eclipse.
___
On the Net:
NASA's lunar eclipse page: http://sunearth.gsfc.nasa.gov/eclipse/lunar.html
© 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
8 Votes- Enjoy this article? Help vote it up the 'Vine.
Published to:
- Alicia Chang's Column, All of Newsvine
- Groups: none
- Regions: United States , Los Angeles
- Public Discussion (6)
What's this?
Who's leading the conversation?
This visualization below allows you to see the impact that each user
has on the current conversation.
The top row contains the group of users who have had the most impact, the 2nd
row the group of users who have had the 2nd most impact (et cetera).
Users with similar impact are grouped together, and the average score of the group
is shown to the left of the group. The author of the article is also shown on the
left, in their corresponding group.
Each user's score is based on the number of comments the user has made plus the
number of votes their comments have received. The scores are calculated relative
one another, so while their absolute value is not particularly important, their
relative difference does indicate a larger difference in impact on the conversation.
4.5
{"commentId":1488920,"authorDomain":"appleannie"}
I will try to see it, though it is billy cold here.
{"commentId":1488920,"threadId":"222254","contentId":"1311546","authorDomain":"appleannie"}
- 1 vote
#1 - Wed Feb 20, 2008 2:22 AM EST{"commentId":1491250,"authorDomain":"darkknightjrk"}
I'll definitely take a look, maybe even take some pictures. :D
{"commentId":1491250,"threadId":"222254","contentId":"1311546","authorDomain":"darkknightjrk"}
- 1 vote
#2 - Wed Feb 20, 2008 6:29 PM EST{"commentId":1492043,"authorDomain":"JoTigerlily"}
It is beautiful to see. Rain and clouds had been predicted, but it has been a clear day, and the sky is still clear tonight. I was up on the roof for a little while looking at the total eclipse.
I'd be interested in any pics you may happen to get. :-)
{"commentId":1492043,"threadId":"222254","contentId":"1311546","authorDomain":"JoTigerlily"}
- 2 votes
#3 - Wed Feb 20, 2008 10:45 PM EST{"commentId":1492097,"authorDomain":"appleannie"}
Did it get dark outside?
It is never dark here in Chicago.
{"commentId":1492097,"threadId":"222254","contentId":"1311546","authorDomain":"appleannie"}
- 1 vote
{"commentId":1492205,"authorDomain":"JoTigerlily"}
Yes, it is fairly dark here in Eugene, at least in our part of the city. Got to see Orion, etc.
{"commentId":1492205,"threadId":"222254","contentId":"1311546","authorDomain":"JoTigerlily"}
- 2 votes
{"commentId":1492222,"authorDomain":"appleannie"}
Nice area.
{"commentId":1492222,"threadId":"222254","contentId":"1311546","authorDomain":"appleannie"}
- 1 vote
{"canLink":false,"threadId":"222254","isPrivate":false}
You're in Easy Mode. If you prefer, you can use XHTML Mode instead. |
As a new user, you may notice a few temporary content restrictions. Click here for more info.
Start Tracking
Stop TrackingCOMPANY STUFF:
LEGAL STUFF:
- © 2005-2009 Newsvine, Inc. |
- Newsvine® is a registered trademark of Newsvine, Inc. |
- Newsvine is a property of
