ECLIPSE OF THE MOON

Taranaki Daily News, 14 January 1935, Page 13

ECLIPSE OF THE MOON

EARLY MORNING TOTALITY. The second of the current year’s seven eclipses—the maximum number that can possibly occur in any one year takes place on January 20 next, to-morrow week. The fnoon will then be totally eclipsed, the phenomenon taking place in the early morning hours and being visible throughout New Zealand. The first eclipse of the year took place last Saturday. This was a partial eclipse of the Sun, but no part of this eclipse was visible in these latitudes. The beginning of the moon’s eclipse to-morrow week is at 38 minutes after midnight, the moon then entering the penumbra. At 1.53 a.m. the moon will enter the umbra, or shadow proper. Totality begins at 3.12 a.m. and lasts for

over an hour, until 4.30 a.m. At 5.18 a.m. the moon will be setting at Wellington, at which hour it will not have entirely left the umbra. Hence the very last phases of the eclipse will not. be visible. The magnitude of the eclipse will be 1.355, the moon’s diameter being reckoned as 1.0. February 3 will see another partial eclipse of the sun, but this will not interest New Zealanders as it will be visible only in North America. Therfe is a pause after that in eclipses until June and July. The final eclipse of the year, an anular one of the sun, will be visible in New Zealand as a partial eclipse on next Boxing Day.