Sky-Watchers Watch Total Lunar Eclipse

Sky-watchers in every continent but Australia reveled in the relative rarity of a total lunar eclipse Saturday night – but as stargazers have noted for centuries, it was a matter of celestial perspective.

“From the moon, they’re having a solar eclipse,” said Dean Regas, an astronomer at the Cincinnati Observatory Center.

A lunar eclipse occurs when the moon, Earth and sun are in alignment and the moon passes through the planet’s shadow. In a solar eclipse, the Earth is in the moon’s shadow.

The Cincinnati Observatory, which claims to be the oldest in the United States, was founded in 1842 and has been in its current location on the city’s east side since 1871.

It had one of its biggest nights ever Saturday, as officials estimated about 800 people stood in line for a chance to peer through the observatory’s telescope.

Outside, amateur astronomers set up telescopes on one of the city’s highest promontories. Bill Lewis, a 53-year old computer programmer from suburban Montgomery, declared the viewing a success.

“It’s a good one, because the sky is so clear,” he said, adjusting the focus on his new $500 rig. “I thought there would be about 10 of us crazies out here, but look at the crowd.”

Unlike in May, when the last total lunar eclipse was visible from North America, the sky was mostly clear Saturday night – except for light, feathery clouds at the moment the moon was totally covered, about 8:10 p.m. EST.

Total lunar eclipses can range in color – from dark brown and red to bright orange, yellow and even gray – depending on how much dust and clouds are in the Earth’s atmosphere. Saturday night’s eclipse appeared light red to many people and brownish to others.

Residents of the eastern United States could view the eclipse from beginning to end, about 6 p.m. to 10 p.m., but it was already under way when the moon rose around sunset in the West.

Lunar eclipses are expected on May 4 and Oct. 28 next year, but the first will not be visible from North America, according to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

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On the Net:

Cincinnati Observatory: http://www.cincinnatiobservatory.org

Solar activity updates: http://www.spaceweather.com