MONTREAL – Many Canadians will get a chance to see something special in the wee hours of Tuesday morning – a lunar eclipse on the same day as the winter solstice.
NASA says it last occurred 372 years ago.
During a total eclipse, the moon is completely covered by the Earth’s shadow.
The Earth’s atmosphere will make the moon appear to be red.
Mary Lou Whitehorne, president of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada, says the eclipse will begin at 1:33 a.m. EST Tuesday.
She says that’s when the Earth’s shadow will appear as a dark-red bite at the edge of the lunar disc.
It will take about an hour for the bite to expand and swallow the entire moon.
The best moment will be at 3:17 a.m. EST when the moon will be in the deepest shadow.
It will take about 72 minutes for the moon to move through the Earth’s shadow.
But Whitehorne cautions that while the eclipse should be visible across Canada, it will all depend on the weather in each region.
If you happen to catch any pictures of the eclipse, send them to us for a reader photo gallery, using the form below:
Comments