# Total Lunar Eclipse Coming May 15-16 **URL:** \ **Category:** random\ **Created:** [May 12, 2003, 5:01am UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/total-lunar-eclipse-coming-may-15-16/20671 "2003-05-12T05:01:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Unflux](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/user_avatar/forum.kirupa.com/unflux/32/7318_2.png) [@Unflux](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/Unflux)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2003, 5:01am UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/total-lunar-eclipse-coming-may-15-16/20671/1 "2003-05-12T05:01:28Z")
By Joe Rao Special to [SPACE.com](http://SPACE.com) posted: 07:00 am ET 25 April 2003 [http://www.space.com/spacewatch/lunar\_eclipse\_news\_030425.html](http://www.space.com/spacewatch/lunar_eclipse_news_030425.html) ![](http://www.space.com/images/lunar_eclipse_diagram_030425_03.gif) On the night of May 15-16, millions of eyes will be drawn skyward, where there will hang a mottled, coppery globe – our Moon – completely immersed in the long, tapering cone of shadow cast into space by Earth. If the weather is clear, skywatchers across most of the Americas, Europe and Africa will have a view of one of nature’s most beautiful spectacles: A total eclipse of the Moon. Unlike a total eclipse of the Sun, which often requires an avid viewer to make a long journey in order to stand under the path of totality, lunar eclipses can more frequently be observed from one’s own backyard. The passage of the Moon through the Earth’s shadow is similarly visible from all places within the hemisphere where the Moon is above the horizon. The total phase of the upcoming event will be visible across much of North America, all of South America, as well as central and western Europe and most of Africa (except the extreme eastern part). This makes for a potential viewing audience of nearly 2 billion people. For North Americans, this will be the first total lunar eclipse in more than three years. There is nothing complicated about viewing this celestial spectacle. It is perfectly safe and simple to watch with the naked eye, but binoculars or a small telescope will give a much nicer view. The eclipse will begin rather undramatically when the Moon enters the faint outer portion, or penumbra, of the Earth’s shadow about an hour before it begins moving into the umbra. The penumbral portion of the event is all but invisible to the eye until the Moon becomes deeply immersed in it. Sharp-eyed viewers may get their first glimpse of the penumbra as a faint “smudge” on the left part of the Moon’s disk at or around 1:46 GMT (on May 16) which corresponds to 9:46 p.m. EDT on May 15, or 7:46 p.m. MDT. The event becomes more remarkable when Moon begins to enter the Earth’s dark inner shadow (the umbra). A small scallop of darkness will begin to appear on the Moon’s left edge at 2:03 GMT (on May 16) corresponding to 10:03 p.m. EDT (on May 15) or 8:03 p.m. MDT. The Moon will take 3 hours and 14 minutes to pass completely through the umbra, and just less than one-third of that time it will be entirely immersed in shadow. While much of eastern and central U.S. and Canada will see the Moon enter the umbra, those living to the west of a line running from near roughly Tucson, Arizona to Minot, North Dakota, to Port Nelson, Manitoba, Canada will see the Moon rise already in eclipse. The total phase of the eclipse will last 53 minutes beginning at 3:14 GMT on May 16, corresponding to 11:14 p.m. EDT on May 15, or 8:14 p.m. PDT. During totality, although the Moon will be entirely immersed in the Earth’s shadow, it likely will not disappear from sight. Rather, it should appear to turn a coppery red color, a change caused by the Earth’s atmosphere bending or refracting sunlight into the shadow. Since the Earth’s shadow is cone-shaped and extends out into space for some 857,000 miles (1,379,000 kilometers), sunlight will be strained through a sort of “double sunset,” all around the rim of the Earth, into its shadow and then onto the Moon. What to Expect Residents in the eastern U.S. and Canada will see the entire eclipse. Sequence of events * * * Some people will see the eclipse in progress when the Moon comes up. Below are some selected cities, with time of local moonrise and the percentage of the Moon’s diameter already immersed in the Earth’s umbra. Location Time Moonrise Eclipsed Phoenix MST 7:12 p.m. 13% Salt Lake City MDT 8:28 p.m. 35% Las Vegas PDT 7:31 p.m. 39% Los Angeles PDT 7:39 p.m. 51% Helena MDT 8:45 p.m. 59% Boise MDT 8:54 p.m. 72% San Francisco PDT 8:05 p.m. 87% Local forecast While much of eastern and central U.S. and Canada will see the Moon enter the umbra, those living to the west of a line running from near roughly Tucson, Arizona to Minot, North Dakota, to Port Nelson, Manitoba, Canada will see the Moon rise already in eclipse. Because of low altitude and bright evening twilight, observers in these locations may not see much of the Moon at all until it begins to emerge from out of the Earth’s shadow. Conversely, the Moon will be setting in total eclipse across portions of east-central Africa and central Europe. Because of low altitude and bright morning twilight, observers in these locations may not see much of the Moon at all after it slips completely into the Earth’s shadow. At the moment of mid-totality (3:40 GMT/11:40 p.m. EDT), the Moon will stand directly overhead from easternmost Bolivia. The Moon will pass entirely out of the Earth’s umbra at 5:17 GMT, or 1:17 a.m. EDT, and the last evidence of the penumbra should vanish at or, around 5:34 GMT, or 1:34 a.m. EDT. The last total lunar eclipse occurred on Jan. 9, 2001 and was visible primarily from the Eastern Hemisphere. The last widely observable lunar eclipse visible from the Americas occurred on Jan. 20-21, 2000. Should unsettled weather eclipse your view of the upcoming eclipse, there is at least some consolation in knowing that there’ll be another total lunar eclipse visible from most of the Americas, Europe, Africa as well as much of Asia, later this year on the night of Nov. 8-9. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/kirupa/original/3X/6/2/621e5c11736f46532526e61be85940af4230f3e5.png) [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2003, 6:04am UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/total-lunar-eclipse-coming-may-15-16/20671/2 "2003-05-12T06:04:08Z")
oh my god, i’m totally taking some shots of the moon. i’ll take long exposure ones too and scan them in and show you guys. i once took a photo of venus thru a telescope but it just looks like a tiny ball of light with colors around it (the earth’s atmosphere creates that rainbow). i suppose i could scan it just for the hell of it. but the MOON will be awesome, i’m so excited. i hope we have good weather here in nebraska, which is asking for a lot. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/kirupa/original/3X/6/2/621e5c11736f46532526e61be85940af4230f3e5.png) [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2003, 6:05am UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/total-lunar-eclipse-coming-may-15-16/20671/3 "2003-05-12T06:05:29Z")
MATRIX II 15 may!!! ---
**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/kirupa/original/3X/6/2/621e5c11736f46532526e61be85940af4230f3e5.png) [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2003, 6:08am UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/total-lunar-eclipse-coming-may-15-16/20671/4 "2003-05-12T06:08:32Z")
screw the matrix!! i probably won’t be able to get tickets anyways. the next lunar eclipse will be in november and the dvd will be out by then. this is nature we’re talking about, not some movie i’ll watch ten times anyways. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/kirupa/original/3X/6/2/621e5c11736f46532526e61be85940af4230f3e5.png) [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2003, 6:17am UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/total-lunar-eclipse-coming-may-15-16/20671/5 "2003-05-12T06:17:18Z")
oh wow, awesome. this is gonna be so cool. hey pinx, i have a question for you. i have a good manual cam, and i’d like to take some nice shots as well. can you reccomend what type of film to use? i’m afraid its been so long that i forgot most of what i used to know…lol. and also… anyone know a good vantage point in boston to see it? like a really nice… high place, so i get some nice clean shots?? if i cant find a good place, then i’m gonna blow off my plans up here on friday, and go home to NJ where we have a niice mountain i can go up to. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/kirupa/original/3X/6/2/621e5c11736f46532526e61be85940af4230f3e5.png) [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2003, 2:34pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/total-lunar-eclipse-coming-may-15-16/20671/6 "2003-05-12T14:34:30Z")
well technically you can use 400 film because the moon radiates enough light for it to be effective. i personally use 800 FUJI. also you have to take into effect that the moon will be in shadow. i use FUJI film cause it has better more radiant colors than kodak. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/kirupa/original/3X/6/2/621e5c11736f46532526e61be85940af4230f3e5.png) [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2003, 5:10pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/total-lunar-eclipse-coming-may-15-16/20671/7 "2003-05-12T17:10:58Z")
cool. thanks 🙂 im so stoked. i hope your pics come out well!! ---
**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/kirupa/original/3X/6/2/621e5c11736f46532526e61be85940af4230f3e5.png) [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2003, 6:34pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/total-lunar-eclipse-coming-may-15-16/20671/8 "2003-05-12T18:34:49Z")
yeah i hope the weather is good and clear. i’m using my big lens to frame the moon. ohhhhhh yeah!!! ---
**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/kirupa/original/3X/6/2/621e5c11736f46532526e61be85940af4230f3e5.png) [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2003, 8:29pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/total-lunar-eclipse-coming-may-15-16/20671/9 "2003-05-12T20:29:59Z")
i might try to do some time lapse photography of this spectacle, and if i do, i’ll be sure to share with my fellow Kirupians… ---
**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/kirupa/original/3X/6/2/621e5c11736f46532526e61be85940af4230f3e5.png) [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2003, 8:59pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/total-lunar-eclipse-coming-may-15-16/20671/10 "2003-05-12T20:59:46Z")
I live in Arizona, Phoenix to be exact, I will make sure to take pictures! So if I am in Arizona I will see this happen at 7:12pm on the 15th or the 16th??? ---
**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/kirupa/original/3X/6/2/621e5c11736f46532526e61be85940af4230f3e5.png) [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2003, 9:20pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/total-lunar-eclipse-coming-may-15-16/20671/11 "2003-05-12T21:20:19Z")
Yeah i dont get that, are there going to be two or what? ---
**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/kirupa/original/3X/6/2/621e5c11736f46532526e61be85940af4230f3e5.png) [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2003, 2:46am UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/total-lunar-eclipse-coming-may-15-16/20671/12 "2003-05-13T02:46:03Z")
golgi & pinx - you 2 had teh same thought I did…take some pics! 😉 I plan to take an entire roll off my deck because I have a clear perspective of it from there. As long as the night is clear, this should be soooooo awesome. Let’s all share our shots when we get em, ok? =) ---
**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/kirupa/original/3X/6/2/621e5c11736f46532526e61be85940af4230f3e5.png) [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2003, 6:17am UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/total-lunar-eclipse-coming-may-15-16/20671/13 "2003-05-13T06:17:37Z")
> \*Originally posted by telekinesis \* > \*\*I live in Arizona, Phoenix to be exact, I will make sure to take pictures! So if I am in Arizona I will see this happen at 7:12pm on the 15th or the 16th??? \*\* Hello??? 😛 ---
**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/kirupa/original/3X/6/2/621e5c11736f46532526e61be85940af4230f3e5.png) [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2003, 10:18am UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/total-lunar-eclipse-coming-may-15-16/20671/14 "2003-05-13T10:18:11Z")
telekinesis - the 15th i believe. 🙂 and unflux - of course we will 😉 ---
**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/kirupa/original/3X/6/2/621e5c11736f46532526e61be85940af4230f3e5.png) [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2003, 9:51pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/total-lunar-eclipse-coming-may-15-16/20671/15 "2003-05-15T21:51:30Z")
I’ll bump this up seen as it is tonight :beam: My moon is yellow now, is that anything? lol 😛 - Soul :s: ---
**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/kirupa/original/3X/6/2/621e5c11736f46532526e61be85940af4230f3e5.png) [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2003, 9:53pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/total-lunar-eclipse-coming-may-15-16/20671/16 "2003-05-15T21:53:39Z")
hmm, im going to try to hook up my web cam. and tape it. but i dont know how well that will work. I am going to take some pictures from over here in MA. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/kirupa/original/3X/6/2/621e5c11736f46532526e61be85940af4230f3e5.png) [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2003, 10:02pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/total-lunar-eclipse-coming-may-15-16/20671/17 "2003-05-15T22:02:38Z")
Its the apocolypse!! Run for your lives!! :moustache 😛 - Soul :s: ---
**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/kirupa/original/3X/6/2/621e5c11736f46532526e61be85940af4230f3e5.png) [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2003, 10:58pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/total-lunar-eclipse-coming-may-15-16/20671/18 "2003-05-15T22:58:08Z")
Argh, what time is this happening over here? I’ll just bet I’ve missed it… :sigh: ---
**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/kirupa/original/3X/6/2/621e5c11736f46532526e61be85940af4230f3e5.png) [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2003, 12:20am UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/total-lunar-eclipse-coming-may-15-16/20671/19 "2003-05-16T00:20:28Z")
dont worry kit, i have my web cam in the window, im going to try to tape it. and then i will post it tomorrow if i get anything 😛 ---
**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/kirupa/original/3X/6/2/621e5c11736f46532526e61be85940af4230f3e5.png) [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2003, 2:10am UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/total-lunar-eclipse-coming-may-15-16/20671/20 "2003-05-16T02:10:21Z")
its starting over here. i have my web camera on and its taping 😛 [Next page](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/total-lunar-eclipse-coming-may-15-16/20671.md?page=2)