Published on Wednesday, 26 May 2021 at 10:56:40 AM
This evening look to the night skies and see the Total Eclipse of the Moon.
Did you know that for a total lunar eclipse to occur, the Sun and Moon need to be perfectly alighted in their orbits with the Earth in the middle. As the Moon travels around the far side of the Earth, it passes directly into the shadow of the Earth?
To add to the magic of it all, the Moon turns a coppery-red during a total eclipse, earning it the nickname of 'Blood Moon'. As the Moon passes into the full shadow of the Earth, called the umbra, the Sun's light passes through the atmosphere of our planet and is scattered, losing much of the blue light. This means that the light that reaches the lunar surface is predominantly red in colour. This effect is known as Rayleigh scattering and also creates our magnificent sunsets.
When to Look: From 5.45pm to 8.50pm tonight May 26. The total eclipse begins at 7.10pm and ends at 7.28pm. Mid eclipse is at 7.19pm
Which direction to look: The eclipse starts low in the eastern horizon and will have risen higher by the end of the eclipse.
Lunar eclipses are perfectly safe to look at with the naked and unaided eye. You don't need a telescope or binoculars to experience the wonder of the event. Solar eclipses, on the other hand, are not safe to look at without proper filters and eye protection. Never look at the Sun without special eye protection.
Thanks to the @stargazersclubwa for the great information on making the most of this astronomical event.
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