ECLIPSE OF THE MOON

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 23 November 1928, Page 4

ECLIPSE OF THE MOON

VISIBLE IN NEW ZEALAND NEX'i TUESDAY. A total eclipse of the moon will occur during the eaiiy part or next Tuesday evening, and, it should be visible tiiiioiignout New Zealand. At 6.25 p.m. the moon wi.t enter the earth's tpemunOra, but the sclipse will not commence, so far a u s the omuiary ob&eirver is ■concerned, until 7.24 p.m. At that time fete oarth’s shadow wiil make its first appearance on the moon’s disc. As the edge of tm» saiwoiv is hazy and ill-defined, it wd > be possible to observe a flight darkening of the northeastern. (lower right-hand; '.skip of the moon a few minutes before first contact .is timed to occur. Fiorn this moment the shadow will steadily igrow in extent until by 8.15 p.m. oniy a ismaid crescent of the .moon will remain nnobecured. At 8.33 p.m. the shadow will •entirely cover the moon, and totality will have commenced. The total' phase will continue, until 9.29 p.m.. and during the 56 minutes of totality the moon will probably be visible a.s a dull red globe. The colour the earth’s shadow will assume cannot bo safely predicted in advance. Sometimes it is so dark that the moon entirely disappears from sight during totality, hut in recent _ lunar eclipses witnessed in the Dominion -some very beautiful blues, greens and reels have been xseen in the shadow, making the eclipses very spectacular. At 9.29 p.m. the eastern edge of the ■moori will emerge from the. shadow and the area* uncovered by the retreating shadow will rapidly increase .in size as the moon moves out of the shadow cone. At 10.30 p.m. the bust trace of the earth’s shadow will leave the moon, but penumbral eclipse, which, is visible only aft a s'iaht dimming, of the lunar surface, will continue until 11.38 p.m. In any year the greatest number of eclipses possible, is seven. The present ecf'ipsc is the last of five visible this year, of which two were soar and three lunar. Next year there will ho on.y two eclipses, both of the su,n. This te the 'smallest number in any one year.