Eclipse of the moon advances over Cochrane, Alta, on January 20, 2019. Dave Chidley / The Canadian Press
Observers of the sky can expect rare pleasure on Sunday night, when the full moon plunged into the shadow of the Earth, turning its bright silver disk into a rusty red orb.
What is a total lunar eclipse?
The result – a total lunar eclipse – is a visually striking reminder of the celestial dance performed by the Earth-Moon system, which sometimes causes one partner to block sunlight from reaching the other. Sunday’s eclipse will be seen in most of Canada, where the sky is clear. Viewers in the eastern and central parts of the country can watch the eclipse from start to finish, while those in western Ontario will see the moon rise with the eclipse already underway.
Unlike solar eclipses, lunar eclipses can be observed without special eye protection. Binoculars are a useful helper for watching the slow wave of darkness that engulfs the moon and then retreats for approximately three and a half hours.
Astronomers peek into the core of the Milky Way for the first image of a “supermassive black hole next door”
When is the lunar eclipse?
Sunday’s lunar eclipse will begin to be seen shortly after 10:28 p.m. ET when the eastern end of the moon first comes into contact with the darkest part of the earth’s shadow, known as the tumbra. The partial eclipse phase then lasts until 23:29 ET, when the moon’s disk is completely in the dungeon.
By 12:12 ET (21:12 PT) the eclipse, in the middle of it, will be visible in most parts of Western Canada, except the Yukon. The second half of the eclipse will be the opposite of the first, as the moon moves and then gradually emerges from the dungeon again.
Even in the deepest eclipses, the moon is unlikely to disappear completely. Although cut off from the sun as a source of light, the moon’s surface will still receive sunlight, which is reflected to it by the Earth’s atmosphere. And because the longer, redder wavelengths of light are most easily refracted, the moon usually has a copper-red glow during the full lunar eclipse.
MONTHLY TORTURE ON SUNDAY NIGHT: WHEN TO WATCH
The eclipse will be visible everywhere in the world where the moon is in the sky. Watch the moon turn from white to orange after it is completely immersed in the dungeon – the darkest part of the shadow of the Earth.
Complete eclipse
will stay
85 minutes
Partial
eclipse
begins
22:28 h
ET / 7: 28
pm PT
Totality
begins
23:29
ET / 8: 29
pm PT
Totality
ends
12:54 in the morning
ET / 9: 54
pm PT
Partial
eclipse
ends
1:56 in the morning
ET / 10: 56
pm PT
In the middle of the eclipse
12:12 PM ET /
9:12 PM PT
The earth blocks sunlight, usually reflected by the moon,
creating a partial (penumbra) or full (umbra) shade
globe and mail, sources: graphic news; sky & telescope;
NASA; The almanac of the old farmer
MONTHLY TORTURE ON SUNDAY NIGHT: WHEN TO WATCH
The eclipse will be visible everywhere in the world where the moon is in the sky. Watch the moon turn from white to orange after it is completely immersed in the dungeon – the darkest part of the shadow of the Earth.
Complete eclipse
will stay
85 minutes
Partial
eclipse
begins
22:28 h
ET / 7: 28
pm PT
Totality
begins
23:29
ET / 8: 29
pm PT
Totality
ends
12:54 in the morning
ET / 9: 54
pm PT
Partial
eclipse
ends
1:56 in the morning
ET / 10: 56
pm PT
In the middle of the eclipse
12:12 PM ET /
9:12 PM PT
The earth blocks sunlight, usually reflected by the moon,
creating a partial (penumbra) or full (umbra) shade
globe and mail, sources: graphic news; sky & telescope;
NASA; The almanac of the old farmer
MONTHLY TORTURE ON SUNDAY NIGHT: WHEN TO WATCH
The eclipse will be visible everywhere in the world where the moon is in the sky. Watch the moon turn from white to orange after it is completely immersed in the dungeon – the darkest part of the shadow of the Earth.
Complete eclipse
will stay
85 minutes
Partial
eclipse
begins
22:28 h
ET / 7: 28
pm PT
Totality
begins
23:29
ET / 8: 29
pm PT
Totality
ends
12:54 in the morning
ET / 9: 54
pm PT
Partial
eclipse
ends
1:56 in the morning
ET / 10: 56
pm PT
In the middle of the eclipse
12:12 PM ET /
9:12 PM PT
The earth blocks sunlight, usually reflected by the moon,
creating a partial (penumbra) or full (umbra) shade
globe and mail, sources: graphic news; sky & telescope;
NASA; The almanac of the old farmer
How often does this happen?
Complete lunar eclipses can occur as often as twice a year, but they do not always favor the same part of the globe. The next total lunar eclipse, which occurs on the night of November 7, will be best seen from Western Canada. After this event, Canadians will have to wait until March 2025 for the next opportunity.
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