Photo: Lannon Harley, ANU
The Research School of Astronomy and Astrophysics at The Australian University (ANU) is encouraging Canberra’s stargazers and astronomers to rise early this Saturday morning (28 July) to witness a total eclipse of the sun that will reveal a blood moon.
The eclipse will happen when the earth passes between the sun and the moon.
ANU astronomer Brad Tucker said people would see the moon appear to darken and gradually turn red as it moves into earth’s shadow in the early hours of Saturday.
“The red colour comes from light that skims through the earth’s atmosphere and goes off into space,” Dr Tucker said.
“You will see the sunrise and sunset of the earth lighting up the surface of the moon, over 350,000 km away.”
He said an observer on the moon would see a total solar eclipse as the earth blocked the sun.
“Lunar eclipses always occur when it is a full moon, however, the mon is not always in perfect alignment with the sun and the earth, so that is why we do not get a lunar eclipse every lunar cycle,” Dr Tucker said.
“You can enjoy lunar eclipses safely with your eyes, unlike a solar eclipse where eye protection must be worn.”
He said for people in eastern Australia, the lunar eclipse will begin at 3.15 am on Saturday.
“You’ll need to wait another two hours or so, from about 5.30 am, before you can see a total eclipse, when the Moon will start to turn red,” Dr Tucker said.
“People on the east coast will not see the Moon leave the shadow, but people living further west should see nearly all of the lunar eclipse.”
