Moon to turn blood red in lunar eclipse.
The moon will turn blood red on Tuesday, but don't worry - it's not the end of the world.
It's simply a lunar eclipse - one of the most spectacular cosmic events visible from the Earth.
Anglo-Australian Observatory astronomer in charge, Fred Watson, said next Tuesday night's eclipse would be a spectacular cosmic event, providing the weather was clear.
"When you get one in the early evening they do tend to focus people's attention on the sky and remind people that we live in a universe that is something much bigger than just the Earth," Mr Watson said.
While lunar eclipses are not uncommon, Mr Watson said the opportunity to see them from beginning to end was relatively rare.
"Actually somewhere or other there are about two eclipses of each kind a year but getting the circumstances right are more rare," Mr Watson said.
"The next total lunar eclipse we can see from beginning to end after this one will be in 2011."
The last lunar eclipse that Australians could see in its entirety was in 2000.
Lunar eclipses differ greatly from solar eclipses, which occur when the moon passes in front of the sun and then its shadow travels across the Earth.
A lunar eclipse occurs over an entire hemisphere of the Earth at once - when the Earth moves in front of the moon, blocking the sun's light and casting its shadow over the moon.
During the eclipse, Mr Watson said in areas away from high levels of pollution, keen eyed people may see stars that were generally not visible.
"Because the moon's light is dimmed it will be more like when there is a new moon, you might see stars that you normally can't see when there is a full moon," Mr Watson said.
"The thing that will be most interesting is the moon itself. Light filters through the Earth's atmosphere and the falls on the moon, because it has gone through Earth's atmosphere the blue element is removed, leaving red light.
"So the moon will be dimly illuminated, but a coppery colour, which should be spectacular. This is where all these myths about the moon turning to blood come from."
The lunar eclipse will start at about 6.50pm on Tuesday August 28 and by 7.50pm the moon will be totally obscured by the Earth's shadow.
At about 9.23pm, the moon will start to reappear, becoming completely visible by about 10.30pm.
Mr Watson said people keen to see next week's cosmic event should turn their eyes eastwards.
"Because the moon will be rising at the time, you'll need to have somewhere that has a good view of the eastern horizon, like looking over the ocean, but really anywhere with a low eastern horizon," Mr Watson said.
"A telescope or binoculars will also make it a much more interesting experience."
For more information go to:
http://www.astronomy.org.au
http://www.australiangeographic.com.au
http://www.bom.gov.au
The moon will turn blood red on Tuesday, but don't worry - it's not the end of the world.
It's simply a lunar eclipse - one of the most spectacular cosmic events visible from the Earth.
Anglo-Australian Observatory astronomer in charge, Fred Watson, said next Tuesday night's eclipse would be a spectacular cosmic event, providing the weather was clear.
"When you get one in the early evening they do tend to focus people's attention on the sky and remind people that we live in a universe that is something much bigger than just the Earth," Mr Watson said.
While lunar eclipses are not uncommon, Mr Watson said the opportunity to see them from beginning to end was relatively rare.
"Actually somewhere or other there are about two eclipses of each kind a year but getting the circumstances right are more rare," Mr Watson said.
"The next total lunar eclipse we can see from beginning to end after this one will be in 2011."
The last lunar eclipse that Australians could see in its entirety was in 2000.
Lunar eclipses differ greatly from solar eclipses, which occur when the moon passes in front of the sun and then its shadow travels across the Earth.
A lunar eclipse occurs over an entire hemisphere of the Earth at once - when the Earth moves in front of the moon, blocking the sun's light and casting its shadow over the moon.
During the eclipse, Mr Watson said in areas away from high levels of pollution, keen eyed people may see stars that were generally not visible.
"Because the moon's light is dimmed it will be more like when there is a new moon, you might see stars that you normally can't see when there is a full moon," Mr Watson said.
"The thing that will be most interesting is the moon itself. Light filters through the Earth's atmosphere and the falls on the moon, because it has gone through Earth's atmosphere the blue element is removed, leaving red light.
"So the moon will be dimly illuminated, but a coppery colour, which should be spectacular. This is where all these myths about the moon turning to blood come from."
The lunar eclipse will start at about 6.50pm on Tuesday August 28 and by 7.50pm the moon will be totally obscured by the Earth's shadow.
At about 9.23pm, the moon will start to reappear, becoming completely visible by about 10.30pm.
Mr Watson said people keen to see next week's cosmic event should turn their eyes eastwards.
"Because the moon will be rising at the time, you'll need to have somewhere that has a good view of the eastern horizon, like looking over the ocean, but really anywhere with a low eastern horizon," Mr Watson said.
"A telescope or binoculars will also make it a much more interesting experience."
For more information go to:
http://www.astronomy.org.au
http://www.australiangeographic.com.au
http://www.bom.gov.au
