A lunar eclipse is due to occur tonight, being the 15th of June 2011. And it is due to be the longest eclipse for over a decade, and should therefore make quite a spectacular sight for anyone willing to take the time to look.
This of course begs the question of what exactly a lunar eclipse is, as it is often confused for a solar eclipse. Well, to put not too fine a point to it, lunar eclipses are when the Earth passes in-between the moon and the sun, thus causing a shadow to be cast upon the moon. Interestingly though, unlike a solar eclipse, lunar eclipses can last for hours at a time, and be seen by the whole side of the world that is facing away from the sun for its entire duration. Another interesting point is that a lunar eclipse can only occur on the night of a full moon, due to necessity for the sun, earth and moon to be aligned exactly. Tonight’s lunar eclipse will be a central eclipse, visible over Europe and South America after sunset, over Africa and most of Asia, and Australia before sunrise.
I shall attempt to take photographs of the eclipse, and upload them on the next blog post. Hope the skies are clear, and that you dear reader, manage to get the chance to witness this event first hand. Happy stargazing!!
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