A treat for night owls tonight - there will be a total lunar eclipse, just in time for the winter solstice!
The eclipse begins tonight at 10:33 p.m. PST, when NASA says the Earth's dark-red shadow will start to show on the edge of the moon. It will take about an hour for the Earth's shadow to comletely cover the moon; the whole event will take 3 hours and 38 minutes. NASA recommends that you take a peek 12:17 a.m. PST, when the moon will be fully covered in an amber light.
'Round here, we might have clouds to contend with - but hey, it's worth a peek!
Total lunar eclipses during winter are fairly common, NASA says, but a lunar eclipse falling precisely on the date of the solstice is quite rare. According to AolNews.com, NASA says that this is the first time an eclipse has coincided with a solstice since December 21, 1638; it won't happen again until 2094.
