Original Blog Entry: A Total Lunar Eclipse

WILLWRK4NUMBERS — Tue, 21 Dec 2010 08:09:24 GMT

On the night of the 20th/21st there will be a Total Lunar Eclipse. North America will see the entire event from start to finish. The Moon will be high in the sky so it will be in great position to observe it. It should not be missed.

A Total Lunar Eclipse can be divided into 5 stages. The first is when the Moon enters the penumbra.

The next stage, the partial stage is much more visible and dramatic. A sharp edged dark reddish shadow starts to cross the face of the Moon.

The Total stage of the eclipse starts. Here the Moon is completely covered with Earth s shadow and the Moon takes on dark reddish gray color.

Totality will last a little over an hour then it will reverse itself, doing the opposite of what it did to get to Totality. The bright light of the Moon will go across the face and then the subtle penumbral shadow will go across then the Moon appears normal and the eclipse is over.

These are times for the different stages of the Total Lunar Eclipse on the 20th/21st

Moon enters penumbra**---------- 9:55 PM PST

Partial stage begins---------------- 10:33 PM PST

Totality begins-------------------- 11:41 PM PST

Mid eclipse------------------------ 12:17 AM PST

Totality ends---------------------- 12:53 AM PST

Partial stage ends------------------ 2:01 AM PST

Moon leaves penumbra------------- 3:01 AM PST

**Penumbra means shadow. Looks like prenumber (lol)

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