ECLIPSE OF THE MOON.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume III, Issue 907, 6 January 1917, Page 2

ECLIPSE OF THE MOON.

The following note on the eclipse of the moon, which will take place on .Janu-1 ary 8, has been supplied by a correspondent : At Greenwich the total phase of the eclipse will be visible, with the exception of the last IS minutes of totality, as the moon sets a little too soon. 1* follows that just exactly what Greenwich misses would be visible at the antipodes of I Greenwich, were it not that the moon is less than a quarter of a. million miles I from us, or only about .JO times the : earth's diameter. However, three-fourths lof the effect of the moon's nearness is : compensated for by atmospheric rofracI tion. The moon just sets at Greenwich |at 7.40 p.ni. i New Zealand time) on January 8, at which time it will just appear : to be rising : t a point slightly to the least of the Antipodes Islands, and shortly afterwards at, Christclmrch, but the I moon will tnl<e some four minutes of time to clear the horizon. j The total phase of the eclipse ends at j 7.i58 p.m. (New Zealand time), so that j the total phase will here lie visible for ■only a comparatively few minutes after ; moon rise. The New Zealand time of the ! moon leaving the shadow of the earth I will be Slhr S.limin p.m., and the time of , its leaving the penumbra will be lOhr I 22.7min p.m. ; The whole time taken by the moon to ' pass through the penumbra will be (>hr : ITniin, and the duration of the total i phase, that is the period during which : (he moon is entirely within the umbra ! (the inner shadow of the earth), will be | illr L'S.lmin. The New Zealand time of I the. middle of the eclipse will be 7hr 14.(3 I min, or L'.fimin after astronomical full