By Rod Hill on 2010-06-21
June 26 - Partial Lunar Eclipse for the Pacific NW
A partial lunar eclipse will take place on the morning of June 26, 2010, the first of two lunar eclipses in 2010. The second will be a total eclipse on December 21, 2010. Lunar eclipses only occur during a full Moon which is on June 26. During a partial eclipse, a portion of the Moon passes through the Earth's inner shadow, called the umbra.
If the sky is somewhat clear, people willing to get up by 3 a.m. will be able to see the Moon passing through the Earth's shadow. Viewers in the Pacific NW will need to find clear view of the SW horizon for this eclipse. During the start of the eclipse at 3:16 a.m. PDT on Saturday morning, the Moon will be low above the SW horizon at 13 degrees altitude. While watching the eclipse, the International Space Station will be visible moving from the west to southeast at 4:34 a.m. PDT at altitude of 25 degress southwest.
The greatest eclipse occurs at 4:38 a.m. PDT when the northern half of the lunar disk will be immersed in the umbra or Earth's shadow. The umbral eclipse magnitude will be 54 percent at the instant of greatest eclipse. During this time, the Moon will be 5 degrees above the horzion and the Sun is emerging from the east creating the twlight with the sunrise at 5:23 a.m. PDT. No special viewing equipment are needed and lunar eclipses are not harmful to look at. The Moon, while in the umbra, will set at 5:27 a.m. PDT and the partial eclipse ends at 5:59 a.m. PDT below the horizon.
The next lunar eclipse for the Pacific NW will be a total on the morning of December 21 and will be nearly overhead.
-Courtesy of Jim Todd, OMSI Planetarium Manager
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