A Leap Year Red Moon Lunar Eclipse Tonight :: Oblate Spheroid

On Wednesday, February 20, 2008, beginning at 7:01
p.m. PST, the moon will move completely under the shadow of the Earth in a total
lunar eclipse. The eclipse can be seen in the Americas, Europe, and Africa. Hope
for good weather because the next total lunar eclipse won't happen until
December 2010. The moon will be completely under Earth's shadow for about 50
minutes. During this time, the moon won't be completely obscured because of
indirect light coming from the Earth's atmosphere. But the moon will appear to
change colors from light gray to orange or deep red. The shade depends on the
amount of dust and clouds in the Earth's atmosphere. Caption and Graphic Credit:
NASA TV – Sequence Image Credit: F. Espenak