A lunar eclipse on April 4 will be the shortest such event of the century. This first lunar eclipse of 2015 will be visible over much of the Pacific Ocean and nations surrounding that body.
Observers in North America and South America, including those on the East Coast of the United States, will watch the event take place on Saturday morning, just before dawn. Meanwhile, sky watchers in Australia and Asia will see it take place during the evening of Friday, April 3.
Lunar eclipses occur when the moon passes into the shadow of the Earth. Due to the tilt of the moon around our home planet, these events only take place periodically as our planetary companion usually passes outside the cone of darkness created by the Earth.
A total solar eclipse took place on March 20, and another is due on Sept. 13. A second lunar eclipse will be seen on Sept. 28, lasting nearly an hour and 12 minutes. This second lunar eclipse of the year will be seen in areas where the earlier event cannot be viewed. Sky-gazers missing out on the April event are likely to be able to witness the eclipse in the early weeks of autumn.
As the moon enters an eclipse, the body first enters the dimmer, outer shadow of the Earth known as the penumbra, often resulting in our natural satellite taking on a deep red hue. Later, if conditions are right, the moon can enter the darkest part of the shadow, known as the umbra, largely disappearing from sight, or shining in a deep blood red. Some light, passing through the atmosphere of the Earth, can fall on the lunar surface, resulting in some degree of illumination on the body.
Totality of the eclipse, when the moon is at its darkest, will last just 4 minutes and 31 seconds, making it the shortest such event of the year. The best locations for viewing the eclipse include the western United States, east Asia, Australia and Oceania. Viewers in the eastern United States will see only the first stages of the eclipse, as the moon will fall down over the western horizon before the event is completed.
"The lunar eclipse will be visible from all parts of the United States. Eastern North America and western South America can see beginning stages of the partial umbral eclipse low in the west before sunrise April 4, whereas middle Asia (India, western China, mid-Asian Russia) can view the ending stages of the partial umbral eclipse low in the east after sunset April 4," NASA officials report on their website.
No special equipment is needed to watch lunar eclipses, although some observers use binoculars to view detail on the lunar surface. These events are also great for kids interested in astronomy, delighting children of all ages.
Photo: Bruce Tuten | Flickr
