Eye on the Sky: Total Lunar Eclipse Is Tonight
Astronomy fans will be treated to a bright red and orange light show when the moon is fully concealed by the Earth early Tuesday. The eclipse will begin at 12:33 a.m., lasting until shortly after 4 a.m.
Tonight, all of North America will get the opportunity to see the Earth's shadow pass in front of the moon — a more than just a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, since for the first time in nearly four centuries, the total eclipse will coincide with the Winter Solstice. The event is expected to last three hours and 28 minutes tonight, starting at 12:33 a.m. Although it's the second lunar eclipse of 2010, it is the first total lunar eclipse since Feb. 20, 2008. And, astonishingly, the last total lunar eclipse that occurred simultaneously with Winter Solstice happened in the year 1638. The last lunar eclipse of 2010 is especially well placed for observers throughout North America, according to NASA's website for the Dec. 21 eclipse. A lunar …
