A total Lunar Eclipse will occur on 8 October 2014, starting at
about 9.15 am GMT. It will be visible across much of the Pacific, as well as
eastern parts of the United States and Canada, northeastern Asia and eastern
Australia. Part of the eclipse will be visible from remaining areas of the
Americas as well as the rest of Australia most of Asia, although in these areas
the Moon will either rise part way through the eclipse, or set before it is
complete.
Areas
from which the 8 October 2014 Lunar Eclipse will be visible. In the white area
the full extent of the eclipse will be visible, in the shaded areas it will
either begin before the Moon rises or end after the Moon has set, while in the
darkest area it will not be visible at all. HM Nautical Almanac Office.
The Moon produces no light of its own, but 'shines' with reflected
light from the Sun. Thus at Full Moon the Moon is on the opposite side of the
Earth to the Sun, and its illuminated side is turned towards us, but at New
Moon the Moon is between the Earth and the Sun, so that its illuminated side is
turned away from us.
Lunar eclipses occur when the Moon passes through the Earth's
shadow. This can only happen at Full Moon (unlike Solar Eclipses, which happen
only when the Moon passes between the Earth and the Sum, and therefore only
occur at New Moon), but does not happen every Lunar Month as the Sun, Moon and
Earth are not in a perfect, unwavering line, but rather both the Earth and the
Moon wobble slightly as they orbit their parent bodies, rising above and
sinking bellow the plane of the ecliptic (the plane upon which they would all
be in line every month).
Because the Moon is passing through a shadow, rather than being
blocked from our view, it does not completely disappear during an eclipse like
the Sun, but rather goes through two distinct phases of dimming, the Penumbra,
when it is still partially illuminated by the Sun, and the Umbra, when the
Earth completely blocks direct sunlight from the Moon. This does not result in
complete darkness, as the Moon is still partially lit by reflected Earthlight,
but it does turn a deep, dark red colour.
Phases
of the Lunar Eclipse that will be seen on 8 October 2014. The times are given
in GMT, to the nearest 10th of a minute, thus 08.14.0 represents 8.14 am GMT.
HM Nautical Almanac Office.
See also…
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