That will be the planet Mars, which will make its closest approach to Earth in 2014 just hours before the start of the eclipse.įrom across the eastern third of Australia, Papua, New Guinea and the eastern half of Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula, the, moon will rise during totality on the evening of April 15. High above and to the right of the darkened moon, a brilliant yellow-orange "star" will shine with a steady glow. But during totality, Spica will become much more conspicuous and its bluish color will contrast strikingly with the eerie, ruddy moon. Although Spica is one of the 21 brightest stars in the sky, the moon will almost seem to overwhelm the star with its light before the eclipse begins. During totality, the moon will be positioned just a couple of degrees away from the star Spica in the constellation Virgo. Keen observers may be able to see faint stars and the clouds of the Milky Way. Nearby … a bright star, a brilliant planet and fringe effectsĪt mid-totality, from rural locations far from city lights, the darkness of the sky is impressive. In noting an L observation, state the time and optical means (naked eye, binoculars or telescope) used during the eclipse. If you observe the moon's luminosity during the eclipse and want to share what you saw, please send your Danjon estimate to Skywatching Columnist Joe Rao at Examine the moon at the beginning, middle and end of totality to get an impression of both the inner and outer umbra. L = 4: Very bright copper-red or orange eclipse, with a bluish, very bright shadow rim. L = 3: Brick red eclipse, usually with a bright or yellow rim to the shadow. L = 2: Deep red or rust-colored eclipse, with a very dark central part in the shadow, and outer edge of the umbra relatively bright. L = 1: Dark eclipse, gray or brownish coloration, details distinguishable only with difficulty. L = 0: Very dark eclipse, moon almost invisible, especially in mid-totality. The French astronomer, André Danjon introduced the following five-point scale of lunar luminosity ("L") to classify eclipses: The hues depend on the optical equipment used, usually appearing more vivid with the naked eye than in telescopes. Ī careful description of the colors seen on the totally eclipsed moon and their changes is valuable. This happened with eclipses in 1963, 19, which occurred soon after the volcanic eruptions of Mount Agung on Bali, El Chichón in Mexico and Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines, respectively.Įclipse viewers can attempt to estimate the brightness and color of the moon during the upcoming lunar eclipse. Parts of the moon might even become black and invisible. If a major volcanic eruption takes place in the weeks and months beforea total lunar eclipse, a cloud of ash and dust floating high above Earth could make the moon appear darker than usual during totality. Since Earth's shadow is cone-shaped and extends out into space for some 857,000 miles (1,379,000 km), sunlight will be strained through a sort of "double sunset," all around the rim of the planet, into its shadow, and then onto the moon. This will be the first opportunity from any place on Earth to see the moon undergo a total eclipse in 28 months. The total phase of the eclipse will be visible across all of North and South America, as well as Hawaii and New Zealand - a potential viewing audience of nearly 1 billion people. The passage of the moon through the Earth's shadow is equally visible from all places within the hemisphere where the moon is above the horizon. Unlike a total eclipse of the sun, which often requires a long journey to the path of totality, an eclipse of the moon can usually be observed from one's own backyard. This will be the first total lunar eclipse of 2014. You can watch the lunar eclipse live on, courtesy of NASA, the Slooh community telescope and the Virtual Telescope Project. Tonight, if the weather is clear, favorably placed skywatchers will have a view of one of nature's most beautiful spectacles: a total eclipse of the moon.Įarth's natural satellite will be immersed in the long, tapering cone of shadow cast out into space by the planet for a few overnight hours tonight (April 14) and into the wee hours of tomorrow morning (April 15).
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