A red moon will be visible tonight, weather permitting.
Unsettled weather is forecast for the total lunar eclipse starting around 8.50pm when the moon will be shielded from the sun by the earth.
Graham Murray, Stardome Observatory's education and programmes manager, said if the weather was clear, the eclipse would be visible from anywhere in Auckland.
Although it will be a total eclipse the ring of light around the earth's edge is enough to illuminate the moon's surface.
If there is enough dust in the earth's atmosphere the surface will appear blood red.
An eclipse occurs when the earth passes between the sun and the moon, blocking the sun's light. It is rare because the moon is usually either above or below the plane of the earth's orbit.
The lunar eclipse will start at around 8.50pm, turning red from 9.50pm onwards. It will be completely red at 10pm for an hour, and the eclipse will finish at around 12.25am.
The last time a total lunar eclipse was visible over New Zealand was in July 2000, and the next occurrence observable from New Zealand is on December 21, 2010.
Full article here: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/topic/story.cfm?...jectid=10460282
Post your pics in this thread if you can see it from your place!


