This photo released by NARIT (National
Astronomical Research Center of Thailand) shows the fiery red moon as
seen from Chiang Mai during the full lunar eclipse June 16.
From page 1
Thailand last week was witness to a rare celestial
treat: the year’s first total eclipse of the moon.
Dr. Saran Posayajinda, deputy chief of Thailand’s
National Astronomical Research Institute, said that the earth’s shadow
began to pass over the moon at 01:22:37 a.m. on June 16 (Thailand time).
Totality began at 02:22:11 a.m. local time and lasted
until 04:03:22 a.m., and with a duration of over 1 hour 40 minutes, it
was the longest lunar eclipse since July 2000 when it lasted 7 minutes
longer.
The lunar spectacle was also visible from start to
finish from eastern Africa, central Asia, the Middle East and western
Australia - weather permitting. Locally, the weather didn’t cooperate,
but an occasional break in the clouds did allow for brief glimpses of
the fiery red moon.
The full moon normally glows from reflected sunlight.
A total lunar eclipse occurs when the moon glides through the long
shadow cast by the Earth and is blocked from the sunlight that
illuminates it.
As the moon plunges deeper into the Earth’s shadow,
the disk appears to gradually change color, turning from silver to
orange or red. This is because some indirect sunlight still reaches the
moon after passing through the Earth’s atmosphere, which scatters blue
light. Only red light strikes the moon, giving it an eerie crimson hue.
The exact shade the moon takes depends on how much dust and clouds are
in the atmosphere during the eclipse.
Since the moon passed close to the center of the
Earth’s shadow, the total eclipse phase was longer than usual, said NASA
eclipse expert Fred Espenak at the Goddard Space Flight Center in
Maryland.
Unlike solar eclipses, lunar eclipses are safe to
watch with the naked eye.
The next total lunar eclipse will fall on Dec. 10
with best viewing from Asia and Australia. The moon will be completely
blotted out for 51 minutes.
Online: Eclipse information: http://eclipse.gsfc
.nasa.gov/eclipse.html
