Total Lunar Eclipse March 3, 2007
The Moon Hides Behind the Earth's Shadow
For much of the United States, the moon will rise above the horizon invisible from a total eclipse and slowly appear to observers as the sky darkens.
The year's first total lunar eclipse occurs on Saturday, March 3, 2007, as Earth's shadow crosses in front of the moon.
The total lunar eclipse is visible to the western portions of Asia, all of Europe and Africa, and parts of North America.
For residents of the United States, viewers in the northeast will see the moon rise as the eclipse begins. From New York state to the south and west extending to about the Mississippi River, the moon will rise during total eclipse and will be a challenge to see. Only as the sky darkens will the eclipsed moon appear, or for observers farther west of the Mississippi, the moon will rise during the end of the eclipse. Far western viewers will have to be satisfied with the faint penumbral phase.
The moon first enters the faint part of Earth's shadow at 3:16 p.m. EST. During the penumbral stage of lunar eclipses, it can be very hard to notice any change taking place with only a slight darkening. The moon enters the dark part of Earth's shadow at 4:30 p.m. EST. At this time the moon will still be behind the horizon for US observers. The moon finally crests over the horizon for the northeast at the onset of total eclipse (5:44 p.m. EST). Remember that the Sun has to be opposite the Moon in our sky in order to produce a total eclipse. The point of mideclipse, when the moon will be darkest, is at 6:21 p.m. EST. The total eclipse phase ends at 6:58 p.m. EST, and the moon will then begin to slowly regain some of its reflected light, slowing spreading across the surface. By 8:12 p.m. EST, the darkest part of Earth's shadow will have completely left the Moon's surface.
Use binoculars or a telescope to watch the shadow sweep across the lunar mountains and valleys.
If you will be in southeast Asia at the end of the month, you get a chance at a second eclipse. A partial solar eclipse will cross the Eastern Hemisphere on March 19.
Look for other observing highlights in March 2007.
Read my observing log of the lunar eclipse.
