A total lunar eclipse will take place on December 21, 2010, the second eclipse of this year. This eclipse happens early in the morning (GMT) and so will only be partially visible in Europe with the Moon setting just after totality. In the USA, particularly on the West coast, the Moon will be high overhead during totality.
Totality itself lasts 72 minutes.
While most of Europe and Africa experience moonset while the eclipse is in progress, northern Scandinavians can catch the entire event from Europe.
In Asia, the moon rises in eclipse.
The eclipse will not be visible from southern and eastern Africa, the Middle East or southern Asia.
The moon will be situated in the constellation Taurus, close to the border with Gemini, and near the most northerly point in the moon’s orbit at this time of the year.
Total Lunar Eclipse details from LunarPhase Pro [click to enlarge image]. The light-grey ring shows the penumbral shadow.
About Lunar Eclipses
A lunar eclipse is an eclipse which occurs whenever the moon passes behind the earth so that the earth blocks the sun’s rays from striking the moon. This can occur only when the Sun, Earth, and Moon are aligned exactly, or very nearly so, with the Earth in the middle. So there is always a full moon on the night of a lunar eclipse. The type and length of an eclipse depends uon the Moon’s location relative to its orbital nodes. There won’t be another total lunar eclipse until June 15, 2011, but there are a number of penumbral and partial eclipses between now and then.
The shadow of the Earth can be divided into two distinctive parts: the umbra and penumbra. Within the umbra, there is no direct solar radiation, so the Earth’s shadow on the moon is easy to see. However, as a result of the Sun’s large angular size, solar illumination is only partially blocked in the outer portion of the Earth’s shadow, which is given the name penumbra. This is a much fainter shadow on the moon and more difficult to see.
Penumbral Lunar Eclipses
A penumbral eclipse occurs when the Moon passes through the Earth’s penumbra. The penumbra causes a subtle darkening of the Moon’s surface. A special type of penumbral eclipse is a total penumbral eclipse, where the moon lies exclusively within the Earth’s penumbra. Total penumbral eclipses are rare, and when these occur, that portion of the Moon which is closest to the umbra can appear somewhat darker than the rest of the Moon.
| More Information | |||||
| NASA information on the December 21, 2010 Lunar Eclipse. | |||||
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its not somthing that only happens every 400 years, its just been that long since a total lunar eclipse happened on the winter solstice. We're supposed to have two eclipses next year alone…..