The last eclipse of 2010 is a total lunar eclipse that sweeps across North America in the middle of the night for most observers. Those in the eastern half of North America can view the total phase of the lunar eclipse after midnight on December 21, and observers in the west will be able to see the eclipse begin in the late evening on December 20.
Timing of the December 2010 Lunar Eclipse
The times of the lunar eclipse are generally given in Universal Time. The umbral phase of the eclipse, when Earth's shadow first begins to darken to moon and create a partial lunar eclipse, starts at 6:32 UT December 21. The total phase lasts from 7:40 to 8:53 UT, and the partial phase ends at 10:01 UT. Let's convert these to the four time zones in the United States.
- Eastern Time: Start of Partial Lunar Eclipse: 1:32 a.m. December 21 / Start of Total Lunar Eclipse: 2:40 a.m. December 21 / End of Total Lunar Eclipse: 3:53 a.m. December 21 / End of Partial Lunar Eclipse: 5:01 a.m. December 21
- Central Time: Start of Partial Lunar Eclipse: 12:32 a.m. December 21 / Start of Total Lunar Eclipse: 1:40 a.m. December 21 / End of Total Lunar Eclipse: 2:53 a.m. December 21 / End of Partial Lunar Eclipse: 4:01 a.m. December 21
- Mountain Time: Start of Partial Lunar Eclipse: 11:32 p.m. December 20 / Start of Total Lunar Eclipse: 12:40 a.m. December 21 / End of Total Lunar Eclipse: 1:53 a.m. December 21 / End of Partial Lunar Eclipse: 3:01 a.m. December 21
- Pacific Time: Start of Partial Lunar Eclipse: 10:32 p.m. December 20 / Start of Total Lunar Eclipse: 11:40 p.m. December 20 / End of Total Lunar Eclipse: 12:53 a.m. December 21 / End of Partial Lunar Eclipse: 2:01 a.m. December 21
As you can see, only in the west does the total phase of the lunar eclipse start before midnight.
What to Look For During the Lunar Eclipse
If you are up in the middle of the night watching the eclipse, note the color of the moon. As the moon enters the partial phase, it changes from a full, white moon to a yellowish or sandy hue as it darkens. Then as totality occurs, the moon often takens on a reddish glow. This red color comes from a little bit of sunlight shining on either side of Earth, casting the glow of sunrise and sunset onto the moon. Look for a quartet of bright stars surrounding the moon. Capella will lie to the north, Pollux will lie to the east, Betelgeuse is a bit closer in the south, and Aldebaran will be to the west of the eclipsed moon.
As a bonus, the Ursid meteor shower peaks on December 22, so some of the Ursid meteors may also be seen during the eclipse. The actual moment the moon is completely full occurs at 3:12 a.m. EST on December 21, with the solstice following hours later at 6:38 p.m. EST on December 21.
Source: NASA's Eclipse Web Site
Kelly Whitt - I have been a professional writer for more than a decade, covering many topics from science-based articles to do-it-yourself home ...
