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February 19, 2008

Be on the lookout for lunar eclipse tomorrow night

AP/Photo
The full moon reddens and darkens during the total lunar eclipse shown in this Jan, 20, 2000, file photo, made with an amateur astronomer's telescope. Lunar eclipses can happen only at full moon as the moon passes into the shadow cast by the earth.

PROVIDENCE -- We’ve just got one shot until 2010, so don’t blow it.

Take a midday nap, drink some coffee, set an alarm...

Tomorrow night – weather permitting, though it's not looking too good – there’s going to be a great, prime-time sky show: a total lunar eclipse visible throughout the Americas, Europe and Africa and, if you miss it, you'll have to wait more almost three years for the next one, in December 2010.

At about 8:25 p.m., the moon will begin moving into the edge of the earth’s shadow, the penumbra. About 20 minutes later, the real show begins when the moon moves into the darker part of the shadow, the umbra.

At about 10 p.m. the moon will be fully within the shadow as it lines up opposite the sun, on the other side of the earth.

For about 50 minutes, the moon will be in this shadow – if may be dark gray, but it’s more likely to be a striking reddish color. The effect is created by the light from the sun that is bent through the earth’s atmosphere, scattering the shorter wavelengths and leaving the longer, red light waves to hit the moon.

The moon then makes its way through the southeastern edge of the umbra and penumbra, slipping out of the shadow entirely at about 12:30 a.m.

Watch this eclipse preview video so you can explain to all your friends what's going on tomorrow night.

-- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson

Posted by Brandie Jefferson  at 10:27 AM | Permalink

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