Total Lunar Eclipse Could Mean Trouble For LRO Spacecraft

Apr 10, 2014 08:23 AM EDT | Matt Mercuro

NASA has confirmed that most people in North American will be able to see the highly anticipated total lunar eclipse on April 15th, as the western hemisphere will be facing the moon.

A total lunar eclipse occurs when the Moon, Sun, and Earth are in a perfect celestial alignment.

The space agency said the eclipse will give North Americans a chance to view the eclipse from start to finish, weather pending.

The eclipse is expected to start at around 2:00 a.m. and last for around three hours next Tuesday, according to NASA.

"Sometimes they'll happen and you'll have to be somewhere else on Earth to see them," Noah Petro, Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter deputy project scientist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center said in a statement. "Most (people) of the continental United States will be able to see the whole thing."

As the moon reaches the Earth's partial shadow, called penumbra, a dark shadow will be seen covering the moon. This will give sky watchers the illusion that the moon is changing phases quickly.

The eclipse will peak when the moon comes into the Earth's shadow at approximately 3:45 a.m., according to NASA.

"It's a projection of all the Earth's sunsets and sunrises onto the moon," Petro said. "It's a very subtle effect, and if any part of the moon is illuminated in the sun, you can't really see it."

Despite the fact that it's excited for the lunar eclipse, NASA is worried about its robotic Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) spacecraft, which is orbiting the Moon currently.

The space agency will monitor the eclipse as the spacecraft enters into darkness for an extended period of time. They're hoping the spacecraft won't be affected much by the eclipse.

 "The spacecraft will be going straight from the moon's shadow to the Earth's shadow while it orbits during the eclipse," Petro said.

The next lunar eclipse isn't expected to take place until Jan. 21, 2019. 

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