How to see the eclipse of the moon tonight

How to see the eclipse of the moon tonight full#

This penumbral stage of the eclipse becomes much more evident as the minutes advance and the Moon moves deeper in.Р”Р‡ebruary 20th's total lunar eclipse will be a prime-time event for skywatchers in the US and Canada. Not until the MoonРІР‚в„ўs leading edge is about halfway across the penumbra does the first slight dimming become detectable to the eye. But the shading in the outer part of the penumbra is extremely slight. The eclipse technically begins when the MoonРІР‚в„ўs edge first enters the penumbra, or pale outer fringe, of EarthРІР‚в„ўs shadow. The world map at right tells the story.Р”Р„ total lunar eclipse goes through five distinct stages. Europe and West Africa see the eclipse high in the sky during the dark morning hours of the 21st, and in the rest of Africa, the Middle East, and Central Asia, the eclipse will still be under way when the Moon sets and the Sun rises on the 21st. This means that on the West Coast and in Alaska and Hawaii, the eclipse will already be in progress when the Sun sets and the Moon rises on the evening of the 20th. In Europe and Africa, the eclipse occurs on the morning of the 21st. Observing prospects for Americans couldn't be better during February 20th's total lunar eclipse. Unlike a solar eclipse, each stage of a lunar eclipse is visible to everyone on the Moon-facing side of Earth at once weРІР‚в„ўre all looking together. The partial phases of the eclipse last for about an hour and a quarter before and after totality. Pacific Standard Time, as shown at lower right. Eastern Standard Time, or 7:00 to 7:52 p.m. In the time zones of Europe and West Africa, the eclipse happens during the early-morning hours of Thursday, the 21st.Р”В®arthРІР‚в„ўs shadow will totally engulf the Moon from 10:00 to 10:52 p.m. In the Americas, the eclipse happens during convenient evening hours on Wednesday, the 20th, when people are up and about.

Skywatchers in nearly the entire Western Hemisphere will get an excellent view.

How to see the eclipse of the moon tonight full#

The full Moon is going to get totally eclipsed on the night of February 20РІР‚вЂњ21, putting on a gorgeous show as it glides through Earth's shadow. For best results see our lunar eclipse photography guide. Use a long lens and a tripod for your camera if you have an SLR, or just point any digital camera into a telescope. Yet our brains treat it as though the MoonРІР‚в„ўs distance does change, meaning when we see the (normal-sized) Moon near the horizon we assume itРІР‚в„ўs much further away, and counter-intuitively interpret it as being much bigger.Р”Р„ simple way to explain this trick is using the Ponzo illusion, where objects at a distance appear larger, even though the two Moons in the image below are actually the same size.The last sunlit rim of the Moon was about to slip into the Earth's red shadow when Dennis di Cicco of Sky & Telescope took this picture on Aug.

When we see a bird flying, for example, it is closest to us when directly overhead, and gets further away as it flies towards the horizon.Р”В«ut the Moon is much further away than a bird, so its distance from us doesnРІР‚в„ўt vary depending on its position in the sky (although its distance varies slightly month to month, thatРІР‚в„ўs not relevant to this effect). This illusion is a trick our minds play on us, most likely because we instinctively think the Moon is further away when it is on the horizon.

Measure the Moon at the horizon and then later in the evening when itРІР‚в„ўs higher, and its size doesnРІР‚в„ўt change. Of course, the Moon doesnРІР‚в„ўt really change size at all РІР‚вЂњ you can prove this by making an РІР‚СљOKРІР‚Сњ sign with your thumb and forefinger and viewing the Moon through the hole, or simply by using your thumb to cover the Moon.