If there’s one pre-winter morning during which clear skies would be a very good thing, it’s Saturday, Dec. 10. Either way, a total lunar eclipse will occur that morning. It would be nice if those of us who get up early actually get to see it.
Anyone who wants to come to the Herrett Center that Saturday morning to view the eclipse is welcome to the Centennial Observatory at no charge. Astronomically speaking, the eclipse begins at 4:34 Saturday, Dec. 10 but no one will notice it yet. The moon will start to be visibly covered by the Earth’s shadow at 5:46 a.m. The Herrett’s large telescope will track it until 6:23 a.m. at which time the moon will be too low on the western horizon for it. At that time, smaller telescopes on the observatory deck will track the progress. The total eclipse will begin at 7:06 and be at its fullest point at 7:32 a.m. The sun will rise at 7:56 a.m. and the moon will set four minutes later.
The next total lunar eclipse that will be visible in southern Idaho will be in 2014.
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