Skygazers hoping to catch the last lunar eclipse of 2010 on Tuesday morning best be ready to stay up late (or wake up very early) to watch the full moon as it goes through a range of dramatic color changes.
The December 21 lunar eclipse is expected to last about three-and-a-half hours from its start as a partial eclipse at 1:33 a.m. ET to its finish at 5:01 a.m. ET, according to NASA. The previous lunar eclipse occurred June 26.
Share your images and video of the eclipse through iReport.
During a lunar eclipse, the moon, the Earth, and the sun align so that the sun's rays are shielded from the moon. An eclipse of the moon can only take place if the moon is full, and only if the moon passes through some portion of Earth's shadow, which is composed of two cone-shaped parts, one nested inside the other.
The start of the total eclipse is expected around 2:41 a.m, when the entire moon passes through the Earth's umbra, or inner shadow, which blocks all direct sunlight from reaching the moon.
The moon will take on a vibrant red color until 3:35 a.m., according to NASA.
Before and after the total eclipse, the moon will pass through the penumbra, or outer region of the Earth's shadow, where Earth blocks some of the sun's rays, but not all.
The entire event is visible from North America, Greenland and Iceland. Western Europe will see the beginning stages of the eclipse before moonset while western Asia will get the later stages after moonrise. To find out the best viewing times outside of the Eastern Time Zone, check out NASA's page on the December 21 lunar eclipse, and then refer to this handy guide for converting times.
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@ john liberate the moon? watch it wiggle? hey now sounds a little naughty to me. those kind of words and i bet santa passes you by.
@John...stand at our N. Pole and take a pic of the moon. Now, go to our S. Pole and do the same. Between the two, over 1/2 of the moon is indeed visible from planet earth. Right tomcat?
let me blow the dust off my slide ruler and abacus. ok. if you want to look at the moon go ahead. if not check out the news in the morning. this does not require a phd. man has been star gazing since moby dick was a minnow. just relax and enjoy the show. life is too short to nit pick everything around us.
@banasy: Oh please.
@Simmy: You're welcome, Simmy.
@Moon: Yes I know why Apollo missed its target, but it's a secret. I can't tell you.
@Dana: With such in depth scientific information, you must have a P.H.D.
PRETTY
HARD
D!CK
The scientific community is wrong. The moon is in a geosynchronus orbit. And I have 1 data and 14 datums to prove it.
And the countdown to 2012 begins...
Well Folks ... In just 2 years time ... It'll be 12/21/2012 ... The End Of The World ... according to the Mayan Calendar!
Maybe this eclipse is a harbinger of the the shadow soon to be descending onto our planet ...
@gregory – Yes, the countdown begins for the end of a cycle. Which is what the ayans would tell you if you were to travel back in time and ask them. *rolls eyes* this 2012 hype is nothing but a farce, almost as bad as Y2K or the fears of a Nuclear War (Mutually Assured Distruction for the win?).
How many people think this is true
And the moon turned to..................................blood!
i like turtles
Turtles rock
Not only is it a full moon with an eclipse, but more importantly, it is also the Winter Solstice marking the beginning of Winter and longer days, an event celebrated by pagans long before Judaism and Christianity as it represented the return of the Sun. Many of our "Christmas" traditions hark back to these early times. Evergreen trees were honored because they lived all winter and we still use evergreen trees at the holidays. It also appears that the date of Jesus' birth just happens to coincide with the Winter Solstice, a pagan high point of the year.
For more information, search out the history of the Winter Solstice and celebrate both the Solstice and the eclipse by building a huge bonfire and dance about it to celebrate the return of the sun!
Cheers!
Dude, you're totally right. Me and my drummer (who is very smart) talk about stuff like that all the time. Can you give me your email so we can converse in "smart talk" more?
Signs in the sky are they signs of wonderful thing miracles or good fortune instead of doom Im going to expect these are signs of miracles and good luck. God is trying to tell us something and he used the sky to tell us his message.
Oh goodness, an eclipse is not a "sign in the sky". It's 2010, not 0010. No one needs your nonsense in this day and age. You want to know why the eclipse is happening at this exact time in that exact way? No problem - Newton worked out that math back in the late 1600s. A "sign"? I wish people like you would just stop talking.