Thursday, April 25, 2013

A Very Partial Eclipse, 25 April 20:08:36 UT

Apparitions like the Partial Lunar Eclipse April 25, 2013 demonstrate the miraculous improbability of lunar and solar eclipses on Earth actually are, because an exceptionally sensitive light meter will be needed to detect any apparition at all [NASA/GSFC].
They don't come more partial. In line of sight from Earth the Partial Lunar Eclipse of April 25 may serve to demonstrate the ephemeral depth of the umbra of Earth's long shadow.

As carefully mapped out in Espenak's schematic from Goddard Space Flight Center (PDF and HERE) The penumbral phase first contact (P1) occurs at 18:03:38 UT and terminates (P4) at 22:11:26 UT, totalling 4 hours, 7 minutes and 47 seconds.

The Umbral first contact (U1) occurs at 19:54:08 UT and ends (U4) at 20:21:02 UT, darkening the Moon's far north 26 minutes, 55 seconds. Maximum occurs at 20:08:36 UT.

The capstone of the International Year of Astronomy 2009, the Blue Moon Partial Eclipse New Years Eve, 31 December 2009 captured by Jean Paul Roux and featured as NASA's Astronomy Picture of the Day, 2 January 2011.

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