Lunar eclipse on winter solstice first in 372 years

Many people will be staying up late tonight to catch a glimpse — weather permitting — of a rare and spectacular phenomenon as the moon is eclipsed by
the Earth. The event itself isn’t that rare — lunar eclipses take place about twice a year. However, this eclipse is the first in 372 years to occur on the winter
solstice — the first day of winter marked by the shortest day and longest night of the year. During a solar eclipse, the moon passes between the Earth and the sun. But during a lunar eclipse it’s the Earth that is “sandwiched” between the sun and the moon, astronomy expert Andrew Fazekas explained.

“The moon is basically going to enter Earth’s shadow so that’s what’s going to be so cool about it, and this is going to happen in the overnight hours tonight, into tomorrow morning,” he said.

Eclipse timeline (all times in Eastern Time):

• 1:33 a.m. — Partial eclipse begins
• 2:41 a.m. — Total eclipse begins
• 3:53 — Total eclipse ends
• 5:01 — Partial eclipse ends

While various cultures and religious groups have attached significance to the occurrence of a lunar eclipse, it has also helped astronomers to learn more about Earth and its place in the solar system.

When you look at that shadow creeping across the surface of the moon you will see that it’s kind of curved, and guess what? It’s curved because our planet is round and there you have it, the proof that our planet Earth is round, right in front of you. Ancient Greek astronomers noticed this over 3,000 years ago and said this was proof that our planet was round.

Unlike a solar eclipse, a lunar eclipse is perfectly safe for viewing with the naked eye so you wont need to wear sunglasses to protect your eyes. However, it is best seen through binoculars or a telescope, which allows the viewer to see the motion of the Earth’s shadow as it crosses the moon. Something else that sets a lunar eclipse apart is the colour. The moon usually appears to be a shade of red, ranging from bright orange to deep red, during the eclipse.

What happens, and this is so romantic, is all the sunrises and sunsets that rim the earth get projected onto the surface of the moon.

“So what you’re seeing is the sunlight refracting or bending through Earth’s atmosphere, around its rim, and being projected right on the moon on its surface. And the more dust in the air of the Earth the redder the colour.”

The last lunar eclipse that was visible in February 2008. The next one will occur in April 2014.