Moon's curtain call: Eclipse on March 3

By Joe Rao

updated 2:10 p.m. ET Feb. 23, 2007

Almost have 2½ years passed since the moon plunged completely into the Earth’s shadow. But if you live in Europe, Africa or the eastern half of North America, be sure to circle March 3 on your calendar.

Unlike an eclipse of the sun, which often requires a long journey to the path of totality, those of the moon can be observed from one’s own backyard. The passage of the moon through the Earth’s shadow is equally visible from all places within the hemisphere where the moon is above the local horizon. Moreover, coming as it does early on a Saturday evening, this eclipse should arouse wide interest among tens of millions of people in the Eastern parts of the United States and Canada who can see it during normal waking hours.

Same show for every viewer
Astronomy clubs can alert schools and the media about their eclipse activities and amateur astronomy in general. Why not throw a neighborhood eclipse party?

The beginning and ending of a lunar eclipse happens simultaneously for every viewer, unlike an eclipse of the sun. Hence the simple schedule below holds for all places from where the event is visible (in the Western United States, the moon won't rise until the event is largely over):

Europe and Africa are in the best position; the eclipse will happen during the late-night hours of March 3-4, with the moon high in the sky. The Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador will see the moon rise before its entrance into the umbra (6:00 p.m. Newfoundland Time). For the rest of North America, the eclipse already will be in progress when the moon rises. 

Unfortunately, for those living in the Western United States and Canada, the eclipse will have mostly ended by the time the moon rises. As a consolation, however, the next total eclipse, on Aug. 27, will favor these locations.   

Focusing on eclipse's total phase
For many of us a total eclipse of the moon can be enjoyed purely as a spectacle, a means of appreciating nature in an unfamiliar guise. But many kinds of careful observations can have scientific interest. Even with the unaided eye a lunar eclipse is pleasing to watch, but binoculars will certainly improve the view. For visual observations, a small telescope is recommended. You should use your lowest-power eyepiece.

This week we will concentrate solely on viewing the moon during the total phase of the eclipse. During the 74 minutes the moon is immersed in the Earth’s dark umbral shadow, the big question will be how it appears in the sky. Some eclipses are such a dark blackish-gray that the moon nearly vanishes from view. At other eclipses it may seem to glow like a bright orange ember.

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