Maryland to get a glorious glimpse of lunar eclipse

Tomorrow Marylanders would get the chance to see a complete lunar eclipse after about two years. The last time they got to see one, on Oct 27, 2004 was phenomenal because the Boston Red Sox had beaten the Cardinals of St. Louis for a four-game sweep for the first World Series victory since 1918.

By the time the full moon or Crow Moon rose over the eastern horizon at about 6 pm Saturday it would be deep inside the northern half of Earth’s circular shadow in space.

Maryland Science Center’s Davis Planetarium should be the hub of sky-watchers for the spectacular celestial show. Jim O’Leary, the director said this would be a good chance to see the Earth’s shadow.

As the Earth and the Moon move in orbit, a lunar eclipse occurs when the Earth comes in line between the Moon and the Sun. The Earth’s shadow falls on the moon while passing by. The moon appears dimmer and acquires a reddish hue due to the light refracted from the dust and gases in the Earth’s atmosphere.

If you watched from the lunar surface, you would see the Earth sliding in front of the sun and at the deepest point encircled in a fiery red ring of sunlight.

Tomorrow’s rendezvous would be visible to the naked eye and there is no need of special equipment. There is no danger of harm to the eyes from sharp sunlight. Residents of the East coast would be better placed to watch the eclipse that can also be seen by people in Europe, Africa, Central Asia and South America.

The moon would have entered the eclipse by the time it rose over the east and it would be dim. As it gets darker, the eclipse becomes more clearly visible and clear weather without clouds aid better viewing.

Baltimore’s popular hobby astronomer, Herman Heyn has given a few tips for the city’s residents to make the most of this enjoyable event. A telescope could help you watch two planets – Saturn and Venus. Saturn appears right above the moon and its rings are beautiful. Venus would gleam over the western horizon.

Saturday’s complete lunar eclipse would become visible in Baltimore from 5.56 pm at moonrise and would last about an hour. The period of totality would be for an hour with the deepest point at 6.20 pm. The full moon would begin to shine again at 8.11 pm.

The next total lunar eclipse visible in Maryland is on Aug. 28. That one would again be visible only in mid-eclipse while. The eclipse next to that occurs on February 21 next year.