On Sunday evening, Jan. 20, southwest Colorado will see a total lunar eclipse, weather permitting. A waxing partial eclipse will begin at 8:33 p.m. local time, then become a total eclipse at 9:41 p.m. The total eclipse will last one hour and two minutes, ending at 10:43 p.m., followed by a waning partial eclipse ending at 11:50 p.m.
A total lunar eclipse occurs when the sun, Earth and its moon are aligned along the same line of sight. The Earth then is positioned between the sun and the moon, casting its shadow across the face of the moon as the moon proceeds in its orbit around the Earth.
One remarkable feature of total lunar eclipses is the red color of the moon as it crosses Earth’s shadow. This red shadow is created by the Earth’s atmosphere as it filters solar light to leave only the red color of the solar spectrum. This effect is exactly the same effect we see at sunrise and sunset when the sun lies along the horizon and appears red or orange.
From the viewpoint of the moon, we would see sunlight as a glowing circular red ring around the edge of the dark black circular disk of the Earth. Future occupants of a lunar colony would see an absolutely amazing sight which would appear as a total solar eclipse from their perspective.
Here’s hoping for cooperation from the weather gods and a clear sky that Sunday evening!
James F. Andrus
Cortez