Astro Events - Maintained by Roz Reiner

Title:	TOTAL LUNAR ECLIPSE
Location:	Hawaii & West Coast U.S.
Date / Time:	August 27-28
Comments:	The night the Moon turns RED. A spectacular TOTAL LUNAR ECLIPSE will be visible for 1.5 hours on Aug. 27-28, viewable in its entirety from Hawaii & the West Coast mainland. The totality phase of the eclipse, when the Moon will turn a deep red, begins at 11:52 PM on Aug. 27 in Hawaii, & at 2:52 PM Aug. 28th PDT. A lunar eclipse can only occur at Full Moon, when the Moon passes thru some portion of the Earth's shadow, as the Sun, Earth & Moon all line up on the same plane. A total lunar eclipse occurs when the entire Moon passes thru Earth's umbral shadow; the Earth blocking the sunlight normally reflected by the Moon. Although the Moon is in Earth's shadow, some sunlight is refracted, or bent as it passes through the Earth's atmosphere, and still manages to reach the Moon. Our atmosphere filters out most of the blue light. The remaining red light that reaches the Moon's surface, illuminates it to a coopery glow. During the August eclipse, the Moon's northern edge will pass directly through the center of Earth's shadow, (a central eclipse), resulting in a longer lasting eclipse & a more darkly colored Moon at totality. Lunar eclipses occur on average between 0 and 4 times per year. Less than half of these are total eclipses, and are truly extraordinary events to observe.

Maintained by Roz Reiner - Kauai, Hawaii