Partial Lunar Eclipse to Fall Saturday

Aug. 14, 2008 -- People across the world will have the chance to see a partial eclipse of the moon on Saturday.

In a lunar eclipse, the sun, Earth and moon are directly aligned as the moon swings into the cone of shadow cast by our planet.

Observers on Earth will see a moon that is partly light and partly dark, with hints of color that depend on terrestrial conditions.

Lunar eclipses are visible wherever the moon is above the horizon. This one will be best seen from most of Africa, Eastern Europe, central Asia, India and the Middle East.

From Western Europe and the United Kingdom, the moon will rise during the eclipse.

It begins at 2:23 p.m. EDT, when the moon enters the lightest part of the Earth's shadow, the penumbra. Soon after, the moon will have a slight yellowish hue.

It enters the darker part of the terrestrial shadow, the umbra, at 3:36 p.m.

Maximum eclipse occurs at 5:10 p.m., when more than 80 percent of the visible side of the moon will be within the umbra and the remainder within the penumbra.

The moon leaves the umbra at 6:44 p.m., and the eclipse finishes when it exits the penumbra at 7:59 p.m.

During the eclipse, the moon lies in front of the stars of the constellation of Capricornus, with the planet Jupiter to its right.

Unlike an eclipse of the sun, a lunar eclipse is safe to watch and needs no special equipment.

Related Links:

Discovery News blog: Free Space

Discovery Space

NASA at 50

How Stuff Works: Lunar Eclipses