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NASA – Feb. 28, 2007 – A total lunar eclipse on March 3-4 will be partly visible from parts of North and South America, as well as Europe, Asia and Africa.
It is the first of two total lunar eclipses in 2007, and the first total eclipse since October 2004.
A lunar eclipse occurs whenever some portion of the Earth's shadow falls upon the moon. For this to happen the moon must be full and near one of the two intersection points its orbit makes with the ecliptic, which is referred to as the moon's ascending and descending nodes.
North Americans will get a better view of the total eclipse the farther east they are. The eclipse will already be in progress when the sun sets and the moonrises. However, depending on how clear the night sky is across much of the eastern United States, sky gazers may have to wait until it gets darker to see the moon. That’s because the full moon will be shining 1/10,000 to 1/100,000 as bright as it normally would.
Across the Midwest and the Plains States totality (the period of time when the eclipse is total) will have ended by moonrise and the eclipse will be partial as the moon emerges from the Earth’s shadow. In the Rocky Mountain States, only a hint of the eclipse will be evident in the form of smudginess on the moon’s disk.
The penumbral eclipse, which is the hardest to see, will be visible from western Asia when it begins as the moon sets, the rest of Asia, plus Europe and Africa, and most of the Americas as it ends at around moonrise.
The partial eclipse will begin at 21:30:04 Universal Time on March 3 and end over 31⁄2 hours later at 01:11:46 UT on March 4. The total eclipse will last more than one hour and begin at 22:43:49 UT on March 3 and end at 23:58:01 UT, with the moment of greatest eclipse at 23:20:56 UT.
The next total lunar eclipse will occur on Aug. 27-28, 2007; those living in North America and the Pacific Rim should have the best view.
Did you know?
- A lunar eclipse can only occur at full moon and only if the moon passes through some portion of the Earth’s shadow.
- The shadow is actually composed of two cone-shaped components, one nested inside the other.
- The outer, or penumbral, shadow is a zone where the Earth blocks part but not all of the sun’s rays from reaching the moon.
- In contrast, the inner or umbral shadow is a region where the Earth blocks all direct sunlight from reaching the moon.
Source: Lunar Eclipses for Beginners
Types of eclipses
- Enumbral lunar eclipse — The moon passes through Earth’s penumbral, or outer, shadow. This type of eclipse is subtle and difficult to observe.
- Partial lunar eclipse — This eclipse, where a portion of the moon passes through Earth's umbral, or inner, shadow is easy to see, even with the unaided eye.
- Total lunar eclipse — The entire moon passes through Earth's umbral, or inner, shadow, with the moon often taking on a vibrant range of colors. More
Timing of the March 3 eclipse
- Penumbral eclipse begins: 07:53:39 UT
- Partial eclipse begins: 08:51:16 UT
- Total eclipse begins: 09:52:22 UT
- Greatest eclipse: 10:37:22 UT
- Total eclipse ends: 11:22:24 UT
- Partial eclipse ends: 12:23:30 UT
- Penumbral eclipse ends: 13:21:01 UT
Source: NASA
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With only three minutes until the start of totality, the moon appears as an orange-red orb with a bright rim along its western edge. Taken during the last Total Lunar Eclipse on Oct. 28, 2004 in Dunkirk, Maryland. Photo by Fred Espenak from http://www.mreclipse.com/LEphoto/LEphoto.html
Total Lunar Eclipse of July 16, 2000 over Maui. Photo by Fred Espenak.
Photoshop composition captures six partial phases of the eclipse along with the start (right), middle (center) and end (left) of totality during the total lunar eclipse on Oct. 28, 2004 over Dunkirk, Maryland. Photo by Fred Espenak
Click image for larger version
Click image for larger version
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