ECLIPSE OF THE MOON.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 19962, 2 June 1928, Page 12

ECLIPSE OF THE MOON.

TO-MORROW ? S PHENOMENON. STAGES VISIBLE IN AUCKLAND. TOTALITY ABOUT MIDNIGHT. A total eclipse of the moon will occur to-morrow evening, and the earlier stages will occur at a time favourable for observation. Given clear weather, the eclipse will bo visible throughout New Zealand in all its stages, and should provo interesting and instructive to watch. Penumbral eclipse will commence at 8.35 p.m. on June 3, when the moon will be a considerable distance above the horizon. 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 9.48 p.m. the eclipse will reach a more interesting stage for the casual observer, for at that time the earth's true shadow will make its first appearance on the lunar disc. This shadow will continue to grow in size until, at 11.1 p.m., the moon • will be entirely covered by it. This totality will continue until 12.18 a.m. on Juno 4. The moon will then gradually move out of the shadow, Icav ing it finally at 1.32 a.m. Penumbral eclipso will continue until 2.45 a.m.

Some beautiful and varied colours were visible in tho eclipsed moon during the eclipse of 1927, and it is quite possible that these will be observed at the coming eclipse, as these colours are due to the presence or the absence of clouds in the sunrise and sunset circles of the earth's atmosphere. 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 in the opposite direction across the moon's surface. The first contact will occur on tho eastern limb of the moon, 85 degrees from the ■ north point, which is the lowest point of the moon when it is on the meridian. Ihe last contact will occur on the western limb, 59 degrees from the north point. The magnitude of the eclipse will be 1.247, the moon's diameter being taken as 1.0.