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of the Total Eclipse of the Moon of Friday, 21 January 2000 (GMT) (Thursday, 20 January 2000 (PST)):
(Information from the US Naval Observatory and the American Association of Amateur Astronomers)
Begins 2:02:54 AM GMT, 21/01/00; 6:02:54 PM PST, 20/01/00
Beginning of umbral phase (3:01:24 AM GMT, 21/01/00; 7:01:24 PM PST, 20/01/00) visible in:
North America except the Aleutian Islands, Central America, South America, most of Africa, Europe, western Asia, Greenland, the arctic region, the Palmer Peninsula of Antarctica, the Atlantic Ocean, and the eastern Pacific Ocean;
Totality: 4:04:36 AM - 5:22:18 AM GMT (Peak: 4:43:30 AM GMT), 21/01/00
8:04:36 PM - 9:22:18 PM PST (Peak: 8:43:30 PM GMT), 20/01/00
Moon leaving umbra (6:25:24 AM GMT, 21/01/00; 10:25:24 PM PST, 20/01/00)
visible in:
North America, Hawaii, Central America, South America, extreme western Africa, Europe except the southeastern portion, Greenland, the arctic region, the Palmer Peninsula of Antarctica, the North Pacific Ocean except the southwestern portion, the eastern South Pacific Ocean, the North Atlantic Ocean, and the South Atlantic Ocean except the southeastern portion.
Ends 7:24:06 AM GMT, 21/01/00; 11:24:06 PM PST, 20/01/00
Magnitude: 1.330
A lunar eclipse throws an eerie reddish color across the face of the moon. Earth's atmosphere acts like a prism, bending a little sunlight into the shadow and giving it a copper tint. In essence, what falls on the eclipsed moon is the light of all the sunsets and sunrises on Earth.
Observers with telescopes and binoculars can watch as the edge of the Earth's shadow crosses individual craters on the surface of the moon.
If you wish to photograph the eclipse, mount your 35-mm camera on a tripod and take scenic views with a red colored moon as part of your composition. Exposure times on ISO 200 film should be 1/60 second for partial phases at f/8, and 2 seconds at f/4 for the total phases. You may also photograph the eclipse through your telescope. Exposure times will depend on the exact setup of your equipment.
Note that the American Association of Amateur Astronomers is holding a contest for the best photograph of the eclipse. See www.corvus.com/j20-lunare.htm for details.
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