Meteorologist Samantha Davies

If you look up towards the sky on Wednesday night (February 20, 2008), you will see a total eclipse of the moon. The eclipse will be visible in North America, South America, Europe, Africa and Western Asia. It will be an amazing sight! During a total eclipse, the moon will appear to change colors. It will appear to take on a bright orange color, to blood red, to dark brown, and eventually a dark gray. The eclipse will begin at 8:43 PM EST.

An eclipse of the moon only takes place when there is a full moon. As seen in the graphic below there are 2 parts of the earth’s shadow, the penumbra and the umbra. The penumbra is a zone where the earth blocks SOME of the sun’s rays, where as the umbra is a zone where the earth blocks ALL of the sun’s rays. On Wednesday night, the moon will pass through both the penumbra and the umbra that is why we will see a total eclipse.

Who will have the best sky conditions for viewing the eclipse? Clear or partly cloudy skies are in the forecast for residents in West Texas, Florida, Montana, Illinois, and Wisconsin.

Enjoy!