Total Lunar Eclipse Visible From North America Tonight

Monday, December 20, 2010 - 17:00 in Astronomy & Space

Lunar Eclipse GhewgillAnd it's the first lunar eclipse to fall on the winter solstice in 372 years For the first time since 1638, a total lunar eclipse will be visible from North America on the longest night of the year. That night just happens to be tonight, starting at 1:32 AM, so all you moon-oglers will have to stay up awfully late (or wake up perversely early) to catch it. The eclipse, in which the Earth's shadow completely blocks out the moon, will last for a particularly long time tonight--it will start at 1:32 AM (Eastern Time), with the total eclipse beginning at 2:41 AM. (West coasters can do the time zone math themselves, and watch the eclipse in shorts with their movie star neighbors on the beach, or whatever they do out there.) The total eclipse will last for a whopping 72 minutes, until 3:53 AM, during which the moon...

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