ECLIPSE OF THE MOON.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19663, 15 June 1927, Page 12

ECLIPSE OF THE MOON.

TO-NIGHT'S PHENOMENON. STAGES VISIBLE IN AUCKLAND. TOTALITY ABOUT EIGHT O'CLOCK A total eclipse of the moon will occur this evening at a time favourable for observation. Given clear weather, the eclipse will be visible throughout New Zealand in all its stages, and should therefore prove interesting and instructive to watch. Penumbral eclipsd will commence at 5.04 p.m., shortly after rnoonrise. As the penumbral shadow is very slight, consisting partly of the earth's shadow and partly of direct sunlight, it will result in a slight dimming of the lunar brightness, hardly perceptible to the eye.

At 6.13 p.m. the eclipse will reach a more interesting stage, as the earth's shadow will then make its first appearance on the lunar disc. This shadow will continue to grow in size until, at 7.43 p.m., it will cover the entire surface of the moon. This totality will continue until 8.5 p.m. The moon will then gradually move out of the shadow, leaving it finally at 9.36 p.m. Penumbral eclipse will continue until 10.45 p.m. Any colour, red or grey, visible in the shadow projected on the moon would be due to the earth's atmosphere refracting the sun's rays into the shadow cone. The absence of colour in the eclipse would indicate that the atmosphere on the sunrise and sunset circle of the earth was cloudy at the time. As the moon in its monthly journey moves from west to east in the sky, the earth's shadow during the eclipse will appear to move from east to west over the lunar disc. The first contact will occur on the eastern limb of the moon, 126deg. from the north point, which is the bottom point of the moon when on the meridian. The last contact will occur on the westorn limb, 109deg. from the north point. The magnitude of the eclipse will be 1.018, the moon's diameter being taken as 1.0.