ECLIPSE OF THE MOON

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume 49, Issue 7677, 23 April 1921, Page 3

ECLIPSE OF THE MOON

OBSERVED UNDER IDEAL CONDITIONS

An eclipse of the moon took place last evening and so far as Tauranga was concerned was ob servable under ideal conditions, the keen, almost frosty air being unusually clear and the sky fiet Irom clou its. As our earth inter vened between the sun and our satellite shutting the latter out from its accustomed sunlight, little by little, the earth’s much greater bulk than that of the moon was very clearly marked by the very slight curvature of the shadow’s outline, as compared with that of the moon's disc. Then as the bright area ot the moon became less and less the darkened portion assumed the dull coppery red, due to the small filtration of retracted light from the sun through the atmospheu surrounding the eartii, feebly ilium mating the •_ lunar surface. Tin eclipse was 1 tol absolutely total a. viewed from here, a very small por lion of the moon s disc being only included in the penumbra, am. hence not being quite so dark as til greater portion. This lighter part, originally on the northern side, moved gradually towards, the east, or, speaking colloquially, the hot Lorn of the disc, and on this latte: portion the rays of the reappearing sun, first touched, as tlie. latter gradually overlook our satellite in their apparent everlasting race round ns from east to west. Belor. 10.30 p.m. lim moon has emergen again, glorious as ever from iteclipse.