Lunar eclipse treats early-rising skywatchers

The Earth’s shadow passed over the face of the full moon in pre-dawn darkness Tuesday, turning it shades of copper that faded toward a dark reddish disc. It was Southern Arizona’s second sky show in less than three weeks.

On Aug. 11 and 12, the Perseid meteor shower blazed across the night sky.

The eclipse was widely seen around the world where it was night. Central Europe and Asia missed it

Here, the eclipse started at 1:58 a.m. Tuesday, with the darkest part at 3:40, It ended at 5:24 a.m.

In Southern Arizona shortly after 5 a.m., the moon was bright with part of the shadow was still covering it. It looked like a giant sugar cookie with a bite taken out of the lower right hand part of it.

For sky watchers, there’ll be another lunar eclipse Feb. 21.

Photos from around the Western United States and Pacific showed the moon as a coppery disk.

A San Francisco Chronicle photo showed the covered coppery moon behind the TransAmerican Tower.

A Rocky Mountain News photo from Denver showed a white, partially covered moon shot behind and above the Denver City - County building.

The winged eagle on top of the building was partly silhouetted by the moon.

The Associated Press transmitted photos from Japan, Australia and New Zealand of the coppery, and in some cases almost red, moon.

A totally eclipsed moon is never totally out of sight.

The Earth’s atmosphere diffuses, or scatters, enough light that the moon appears coppery or a deeper shade of red.

What was in the atmosphere affected the moon’s color.

The total eclipse lasted about an hour and a half, exceptionally long.

The maximum time for any lunar eclipse in an hour and 47 minutes.

jlamb@gvnews.com | 547-9749