Upcoming lunar eclipse worth a sleepless night
It matters because the April 15 eclipse must be viewed in the middle of the night, when most of us sleep. The peak will occur at 3:45 a.m. EDT, according to NASA.
That is prime time only for police officers, cat burglars and college students. Even so, scientists are excited because the darkness will afford a perfect view. The problem is that the next day we must go back to work.
That brings us to the central question: Is the eclipse worth it?
The answer is yes, according to NASA. The agency points out that North America will be in prime viewing position from start to finish. The continent will be the theater, and the moon will be center stage. The next time we get this sort of opportunity will be 2019.
So here is the schedule. The show begins at 2 a.m. EDT and should last more than three hours.
“When the moon first enters the Earth's partial shadow, known as the penumbra, a dark shadow will begin creeping across the moon,” according to NASA. “This will give the illusion that the moon is changing phases in a matter of minutes instead of weeks.”
About 3:45 the moon will enter the Earth's full shadow, the umbra. “The Earth's atmosphere will scatter the sun's red visible light, the same process that turns the sky red at sunset,” the NASA news release explains. “As a result, the red light will reflect off the moon's surface, casting a reddish rust hue over it.”
In other words, it should be worth the show – but have the coffee ready to go the next morning. Or maybe some college kid will tape it and put it on YouTube.
That is prime time only for police officers, cat burglars and college students. Even so, scientists are excited because the darkness will afford a perfect view. The problem is that the next day we must go back to work.
That brings us to the central question: Is the eclipse worth it?
The answer is yes, according to NASA. The agency points out that North America will be in prime viewing position from start to finish. The continent will be the theater, and the moon will be center stage. The next time we get this sort of opportunity will be 2019.
So here is the schedule. The show begins at 2 a.m. EDT and should last more than three hours.
“When the moon first enters the Earth's partial shadow, known as the penumbra, a dark shadow will begin creeping across the moon,” according to NASA. “This will give the illusion that the moon is changing phases in a matter of minutes instead of weeks.”
About 3:45 the moon will enter the Earth's full shadow, the umbra. “The Earth's atmosphere will scatter the sun's red visible light, the same process that turns the sky red at sunset,” the NASA news release explains. “As a result, the red light will reflect off the moon's surface, casting a reddish rust hue over it.”
In other words, it should be worth the show – but have the coffee ready to go the next morning. Or maybe some college kid will tape it and put it on YouTube.
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