Full Lunar Eclipse due on June 15th

Total Lunar Eclipse To Happen On June 15th
By Kristen Metz on Mon, 06/13/2011 - 3:30pm

A total lunar eclipse, the longest in eleven years, will take place on June 15th, the first of two that will happen this year.

Lunar eclipses occur when the moon passes behind the earth, causing the earth to block the sun's rays from reaching the moon. This can only happen when the sun, earth, and moon are aligned exactly or almost exactly, with earth in the middle.

Lunar eclipses last for several hours at a time and always happen on a night with a full moon. The upcoming eclipse is expected to last for just over five and a half hours. The period known as totality, which occurs when Earth's shadow blocks the moon completely, will last for one hour and forty minutes. This is seven minutes longer than the lunar eclipse that occured on July 17, 2000, when the moon was completely eclipsed for 107 minutes.

The upcoming lunar eclipse is classified as a central eclipse. As the moon moves behind Earth's shadow, it will eventually change in color from white to orange or red. This is caused by indirect sunlight that is still able to reach the moon.

Lunar eclipses can generally be viewed from anywhere on earth at night, unlike solar eclipses, which are only visible from certain parts of the planet. Also unlike solar eclipses, lunar eclipses can be viewed with a naked eye.

Because the upcoming lunar eclipse is a central eclipse, it will be visible over Europe and South America after sunset, and over Africa, Asia, and Australia before sunrise. Unfortunately, the lunar eclipse will not be visible in North America. The next total lunar eclipse that will be visible in North America will take place on April 15th, 2014.

The most recent total lunar eclipse occured on December 21, 2010. After June 15th, the next total lunar eclipse will take place on December 10, 2011. Several solar eclipses have also happened this year, both partial: one on January 4th and one on June 1st.

The upcoming eclipse will begin at 1724 GMT and last until 2300 GMT.

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