Earth's shadow falls on the moon Monday night and astronomy enthusiast or not, you would want to see it. This once in a blue moon phenomenon where the earth's shadow falls on the moon is called a lunar eclipse.
A lunar eclipse happens when the sun, moon, and earth align and the earth's shadow cascades over the moon's surface. This rare phenomenon when the earth's shadow falls on the moon is quite spectacular and once in a lifetime as it is not like any other lunar eclipse. It is called a total eclipse, when the earth's shadow falls on the moon entirely, completely covering it up.
If you think the moon will be blacked out by our wonderful planet's shadow, think again. A total eclipse is insanely surreal as it will take on a reddish hue as it happens. The reddish color may vary from a bright copper to that brownish tone of dried blood. This is also the reason why this phenomenon is more commonly known as the 'Blood Moon.'
The eclipse, where the earth's shadow falls on the moon will be visible to almost the entirety of continental United States, even Central America and parts of South America. West Coast residents are more fortunate as the 'Blood Moon' will be visible earlier than in the previously mentioned areas above.
The earth's shadow falls on the moon beginning from 10:20 p.m. PDT, when the first faint shadow is visible. Known as a penumbral eclipse, sky watchers must beware as this may not catch your eye at first because it is very subtle.
The show where the earth's shadow falls on the moon continues at 10:58 p.m. as a partial eclipse begins offers sky watchers a view of what looks like a little bite from the moon. Never tire and just continue watching as each minute features the earth's shadow falls on the moon more and more.
At 12:07 a.m., be prepared to see the entirety of the lunar surface in the earth's shadow, glowing an amazingly reddish tone. The reason behind the red color when the earth's shadow falls on the moon is the moon blocking out direct light from the sun, while the light of all the sunsets and sunrises on earth still make it to the lunar surface.
Sky and Telescope magazine's Alan MacRobert explains: "If you were standing on the moon during a total lunar eclipse you would see the Earth as a black disk with a brilliant orange ring around it. And this brilliant ring would be bright enough to dimly light up the lunar landscape."
Earth's shadow falling on the moon will continue until 1:25 a.m. If you are up for it, you can even continue watching till 3:10 a.m., and from then the total lunar eclipse will be over.
For a more detailed variety of time zones regarding the 'Blood Moon' event tonight, see Sky and Telescope's handy chart here.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
