Saturday, March 03, 2007

Sky awareness alert:

Total lunar eclipse viewable from all continents this weekend.
  • First penumbral contact 20:18 GMT (not visible in the Americas)
  • Interior umbral contact 22:44 GMT (viewable in Eastern South America, Europe Africa & Asia)
  • Greatest Eclipse 23:21 GMT (viewable at moonrise in Eastern North America)
  • ...
  • Last penumbral contact 02:24 GMT (not viewable in Eastern Asia & Australia)
Bonus points:
What is moving - the Earth, its shadow, the Moon, or all three?

Extra bonus points:
How many of the following would you need to know to figure out how far it is to the sun by timing this eclipse?
  • Mass of the Earth
  • Mass of the Moon
  • Mass of the Sun
  • Diameter of the Earth
  • Diameter of the Moon
  • Diameter of the Sun
  • Distance to the Moon
  • Need more info

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