In Albuquerque, go outside at 1:47am or thereabouts. I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll be in bed. <\/p>\n
The Sky This Week, 2014 April 8 – 15 \u00e2\u20ac\u201d Naval Oceanography Portal<\/a> <\/p>\n Full Moon occurs on the 15th at 3:42 am Eastern Daylight Time. April\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Full Moon is variously known as the Grass Moon, Egg Moon, Fish Moon, and Pink Moon. This last appellation will be particularly appropriate this year as Luna undergoes a total eclipse by the shadow of the Earth. \u00e2\u20ac\u00a6<\/p>\n The Moon will enter the Earth\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s penumbral shadow at 12:54 am EDT, marking the beginning of the event. Most of us probably won\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t notice anything unusual until about 45 minutes later when Luna\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s disc will begin to show a subtle darkening along her northwestern limb. At 1:58 am the transit through Earth\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s umbral shadow begins, and over the next hour the Moon plunges ever deeper into it. At 3:07 am the total phase begins, with mid-eclipse occurring at 3:46 am. The total phase ends at 4:25 am, and Luna exits the shadow at 5:33. The final traces of the penumbral shadow clear the Moon\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s face at 6:38 am, shortly after sunrise. As to what the Moon will look like during the total phase, that\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s anybody\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s guess. This is one of the things that makes watching these eclipses interesting. The darkness of the Moon\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s disc depends very heavily on the clarity of the Earth\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s atmosphere, so a bright, coppery-hued Moon means that the air over the Southern Hemisphere is clear. If you miss this one, don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t fret; we\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll get another eclipse (at a far more decent evening hour) on September 28, 2015.<\/p>\n [Bonus:] Ruddy Mars is now at the peak of his current apparition. He reaches opposition on the 8th, when Earth passes between the red planet and the Sun. At this time he\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll rise at sunset and set at sunrise, remaining visible in the sky all night long. Earth and Mars are closest together on the 15th, when just over 57 million miles (92 million kilometers) separate us. This is the time to try to see details on his far-flung surface, views of which have tantalized earthbound astronomers for centuries. <\/p><\/blockquote>\n The Sky This Week, 2014 April 8 – 15 \u00e2\u20ac\u201d Naval Oceanography Portal<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" In Albuquerque, go outside at 1:47am or thereabouts. I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll be in bed. The Sky This Week, 2014 April 8 – 15 \u00e2\u20ac\u201d Naval Oceanography Portal Full Moon occurs on the 15th at 3:42 am Eastern Daylight Time. April\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Full Moon is variously known as the Grass Moon, Egg Moon, Fish Moon, and Pink Moon. This … Continue reading The Pink Moon — lunar eclipse<\/span> \n