On Monday after midnight, the full Moon passes right through the chimney of Earth's shadow. For 72 minutes of totality, the Moon will glow as bright and red as Rudolph the reindeer’s nose.
The eclipse begins on Tuesday morning, Dec. 21st, at 1:33 am EST. At that time, Earth's shadow will appear as a “bite” at the edge of the lunar disk, like Santa nibbling on a sugar cookie. It takes about an hour for the "bite" to expand and swallow the entire Moon. Totality commences at 02:41 am EST and lasts for 72 minutes.
If you're planning to spring from your bed, flying like a flash, tearing open the shutter, and throwing up the sash for a look out the window - choose 03:17 am EST. That's when the Moon will be in deepest shadow, displaying the most fantastic shades of red, orange, and yellow. Surrounded by blue and white twinkling stars in the constellations of Orion the Hunter and Taurus the Bull, it’s like a holiday light show!
Why red?
A quick trip to the Moon provides the answer: Imagine yourself standing on a dusty lunar plain looking up at the sky. Overhead hangs Earth, nightside down, completely hiding the sun behind it. The eclipse is underway. You might expect Earth seen in this way to be utterly dark, but it's not. The rim of the planet is on fire! As you scan your eye around Earth's circumference, you're seeing every sunrise and every sunset in the world, all of them, all at once. This incredible light beams into the heart of Earth's shadow, filling it with a coppery glow and transforming the Moon into a great red orb.
Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!
If you're planning to spring from your bed, flying like a flash, tearing open the shutter, and throwing up the sash for a look out the window - choose 03:17 am EST. That's when the Moon will be in deepest shadow, displaying the most fantastic shades of red, orange, and yellow. Surrounded by blue and white twinkling stars in the constellations of Orion the Hunter and Taurus the Bull, it’s like a holiday light show!
Why red?
A quick trip to the Moon provides the answer: Imagine yourself standing on a dusty lunar plain looking up at the sky. Overhead hangs Earth, nightside down, completely hiding the sun behind it. The eclipse is underway. You might expect Earth seen in this way to be utterly dark, but it's not. The rim of the planet is on fire! As you scan your eye around Earth's circumference, you're seeing every sunrise and every sunset in the world, all of them, all at once. This incredible light beams into the heart of Earth's shadow, filling it with a coppery glow and transforming the Moon into a great red orb.
Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!
