Total Lunar Eclipse

Taken by Keck Observatory Guidestar Maureen Salmi from the ninth floor of the Ala Moana Hotel in Honolulu on December 10th, 2011, using a DSLR camera with standard zoom lens, and tripod.

Waimea, Hawaii—Hawaii Fans of Keck Observatory are in prime position to view a total lunar eclipse tonight—one of two expected this year.

After the full moon rises at sunset, the eclipse will begin just 11 minutes later, at 6:53 pm HST. The partial phase will begin at about 7:53 pm making the moon appear red or black depending on atmospheric conditions, as the moon travels into the shadow of Earth. The total eclipse starts at 9:07 pm, at this rare juxtaposition between the Sun, Earth and Moon, at which point the moon will be very dark. At 10:25, the moon will leave the shadow of the Earth and begin to lighten.

The gusty trade winds are bringing drier than normal air and quickly blowing away most clouds, increasing the chance of good viewing. Leeward locations are best.

The next total lunar eclipse will come on the evening of October 7th, with the partial phase starting at 11:14 pm HST and the total eclipse at 12:25 am on October 8th.

Check out this great video by Michael Zeiler for more information about the ecslipe: http://bit.ly/1hyML4m