For the first time in 456 years, the winter solstice will coincide with a full lunar eclipse as the moon passes behind the earth so that the earth blocks the sun's rays from striking the moon.
According to NASA, the total eclipse should last for a little over an hour, making the moon appear red and casting an "amber light" across the landscapes of North America.
The solstice, recognized and celebrated for millennia by people all over the world, marks the first day of winter and the longest night of the year. After tomorrow, the days will gradually begin to lengthen and by the end of December, the days will be about four minutes longer.
Montrealers willing to stay up well past midnight will likely be able to catch at least some of the eclipse. The overnight forecast is calling for a few clouds, with increasing cloudiness overnight.
A south - or southwest - facing window will work just fine for those who want to stay warm, according to Carleton University professor Robert Dick.
If you do decide to venture outside to watch the spectacle, make sure to bundle up as the temperature is expected to drop to around -9 C overnight.
Schedule for the eclipse:
1:33 a.m. - Partial eclipse begins
2:41 a.m. - Total eclipse begins
3:53 a.m. - Total eclipse ends
5:01 a.m. - Partial eclipse ends
For a detailed forecast, visit Environment Canada's website.
3 comments:
All of North America should be able to see this, although you will have to stay up later on the East Coast if it's of any interest you.
Weather permitting, sky gazers in North and Central America and a tiny sliver of South America will boast the best seats to this year's only total eclipse of the moon just days before Christmas.
The eclipse will happen Monday night on the West Coast and during the wee hours Tuesday on the East Coast. Western Europe will only see the start of the spectacle while western Asia will catch the tail end.
The moon is normally illuminated by the sun. During a total lunar eclipse, the full moon passes through the shadow created by the Earth blocking the sun's light. Some indirect sunlight will still manage to pierce through and give the moon a ghostly colour.
Since the eclipse coincides with winter solstice, the moon will appear high in the sky — a boon for skywatchers. With recent volcanic eruptions around the globe dumping tons of dust into the atmosphere, scientists predict the moon may appear darker than usual during the eclipse, glowing an eerie red or brown instead of the usual orange-yellow tinge.
North and Central America should be able to view the entire show, which is expected to last 3½ hours if skies are clear. Total eclipse begins at 11:41 p.m. PST Monday or 2:41 a.m. EST (0741 GMT) Tuesday. The totality phase — when the moon is entirely inside Earth's shadow — will last a little over an hour
Merry Christmas , Cheers !! HF&RV
I would imagine ,depending on cloud cover,that there will be a lot of great photos taken of this eclipse( colour wise is what I mean) We will see I guess. If there are then I will most likely find some & post them here. I don't mean of just the actual moon being eclipsed but the shadows that will be created here on the earths surface,...like maybe the Gran Canyon etc etc ....
Merry Christmas Cheers !! HF&RV
Maybe a few of you will see this in time to use it, a direct link to a NASA Live Feed of te Lunar Eclipse,
it has already started but is sacheduled to cintinue until almost 3:50 am EST
So good luck: http://www.nasa.gov/topics/solarsystem/features/watchtheskies/index.html
Hope it works for you,but inevitaably there will be plenty of footage on it later.....
-------Merry Christmas , Cheers !! HF&RV
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