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Kathleen Burton                     May 14, 2003
NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, Calif.
Phone: 650/604-1731 or 650/604-9000
E-mail: Kathleen.M.Burton{at}nasa.gov

RELEASE: 03-37AR

NOTE TO EDITORS AND NEWS DIRECTORS: Members of the news media are 
invited to interview Brian Day, Peninsula Astronomical Society (PAS) 
chairman of the Foothill College Observatory and technical lead in 
the education division at NASA Ames Research Center, on Thursday, May 
15 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. PDT. Day will discuss that evening's full 
lunar eclipse.

NASA EDUCATOR TO ANSWER QUESTIONS ABOUT TOTAL LUNAR ECLIPSE

On May 15, the first total lunar eclipse in more than two years will 
provide a fascinating 3-1/4 hour spectacle for skywatchers in North 
and South America, Europe and Africa.

In northern California, the celestial event will begin just after 8 
p.m. PDT when the moon will gradually rise, already in partial 
eclipse.  The eclipse will reach its full darkness (called 
"totality") at 8:14 p.m. and the total eclipse will last until 9:07 
p.m. Following this, the Earth's shadow moving across the moon will 
be visible until 10:17 p.m.

"People should position themselves with as clear a view of the 
eastern horizon as they can get," said NASA educator and amateur 
astronomer Brian Day. According to Day, the beginning of the eclipse 
may be difficult to see at first because the sky will still be light; 
but conditions will improve as the sky darkens. Although skywatchers 
can observe the lunar eclipse with the naked eye, binoculars or a 
small telescope will enhance the spectacular view dramatically.

A total lunar eclipse occurs when the sun, Earth and moon form a 
straight line in space and the full moon passes through Earth's 
shadow.

For more information about the eclipse visit:

http://sunearth.gsfc.nasa.gov/eclipse/lunar.html

   
For images of lunar eclipses, visit:

http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap960926.html

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