Total Lunar Eclipse: an Update

As many of you may know, a total lunar eclipse was scheduled to be visible from our area back on March 3. Scheduled might not be the correct word, since the eclipse was going to happen, whether we saw it or not.

At one point we had perhaps 300 people waiting at Tasca Field in Scituate for the Moon to rise. A dozen telescopes set up by Skyscrapers members dotted the landscape, waiting to be pointed at the Moon. While waiting, we showed the crowd Venus, and we talked to many individuals and families about various topics in astronomy.

Well, Mother Nature foiled us that evening. The Moon did disappear from view, but for us observers it was low, thick clouds that were the “eclipsing” agent. And those pesky clouds did not thin out until the totality phase was over. Between 7:05 pm and 7:10 pm the clouds thinned enough to see that the lunar surface was already being bathed by sunlight once again as it slid out of the Earth’s dark shadow.

A huge cheer was offered by the now small group who had stuck around, mostly our members, and perhaps 15 or so guests. Observers got a good look at the subtle shadings of orange and copper coloration on the lunar surface still within the umbral shadow. Very quickly the clouds departed and the rest of the partial phase was visible in a cloud-free sky.

Timing is everything

And speaking of timing, the next total lunar eclipse will be on the morning of August 28. However, the Moon will be setting in the west at around 6:07 am, about 30 minutes before the mid-totality time-frame. Observers with a fairly decent view to the west will be able to watch the partial phase up until totality and moon-set.

The next total lunar eclipse seen here in its entirety will occur on February 20, 2008.