December 21 marks the winter solstice, a time when the hours of daylight are at a minimum. The shortest day of this year is being celebrated in the heavens by a spectacular lunar eclipse.
On the night of December 21 at 1:32 AM, the magical full moon will be positioned straight above you and the lunar eclipse will just be beginning.
Before the eclipse, the full moon will be emanating a creamy glow. As the earth’s orange-red shadow begins to fall on the full moon, you will see a black bite taken out of the moon. Then part of the Moon will turn reddish in colour. Eventually, the Moon will become a coppery phantom. The full eclipse happens at 3:17 AM. The “total phase” will be over at 3:53 AM and the eclipse will end at 5:01 AM when the last contact occurs.
Clouds and dust around the earth’s edge can effect the colour of the eclipsed Moon. It may appear pale pink, beige or even black. Coppery red is normal. Black is from volcano dust and industrial pollution.
It is most unusual for the Moon to be at this special place in the sky. The Moon will be eclipsed while aligned with the plane of the Milky Way Galaxy ; the Earth’s tilt axis; AND the centre-line of our solar system.
The three key-lines intersect in the vicinity of the open cluster called NGC 2129 that is in the constellation of Gemini. (The New General Catalogue (NGC) is an astronomical catalogue that catalogues star clusters, galaxies and nebulae.)
This will be an awesome sight that welcomes in days of increasing light, Christmas, and the new calendar year of 2011! Consider taking a look.
We Canadians won’t see another total lunar eclipse until April of 2014.
