Wednesday, April 1, 2015

LUNAR ECLIPSE "BLOOD MOON" COMING

Occurring in the early hours of the morning on April 4, the show will turn the Moon a deep shade of orange across the skies of Alabama. A lunar eclipse is a fairly rare treat.


It's called a blood moon, and this one is the third in a series of four consecutive total eclipses.
 

North America will be able to see a blood moon one more time this fall. The moon takes on this color during the eclipse as it passes through the Earth's shadow, which is the color of a desert sunset.


The four blood moons have and will occur in roughly six-month intervals on the following dates: April 15, 2014; October 8, 2014; April 4, 2015, and September 28, 2015.


For gazing geeks, NASA has set up a live web chat to answer questions about the eclipse around 3:00 am, April 4.  The heavenly curtain rises on the lunar review around 3:31 a.m, when the moon starts to slide into Earth's shadow.  It should turn into a blood moon -- a coppery red -- about an hour later and stay that way for a few hours.


Event
Time in Elkmont*
    Visible in Elkmont
Penumbral Eclipse begins
Apr 4 at 3:31 AM
Yes
Partial Eclipse begins
Apr 4 at 4:34 AM
Yes
Full Eclipse begins
Apr 4 at 5:39 AM
Yes
Maximum Eclipse
Apr 4 at 6:21 AM
Yes
Full Eclipse ends
Apr 4 at 7:02 AM
No, below horizon
Partial Eclipse ends
Apr 4 at 8:07 AM
No, below horizon
Penumbral Eclipse ends
Apr 4 at 9:10 AM
No, below horizon


* The Moon is below the horizon in Elkmont some of the time, so that part of the eclipse is not visible.
 

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