Moon enters 'magnified' eclipse in North America
A partial lunar eclipse now under way should appear magnified to viewers in North America by an effect known as the "moon illusion".
The eclipse began at 1017 GMT, when the Moon entered the shadow of Earth, and is due to last around three hours.
Because of the timing, the eclipse is not visible from the UK or Europe.
But in many parts of the US and Canada, the eclipse should appear larger because it occurs while the Moon is so close to the horizon.
According to Nasa, low-hanging Moons look "unnaturally large when they beam through trees, buildings and other foreground objects". The reason for this is not understood.
"Observers in India, Japan, and parts of East Asia will experience the same phenomenon," Nasa wrote on its website.
"They'll see the eclipse on Saturday evening as the Moon is rising."
At its maximum, 54% of the Moon's diameter will be covered. This will occur at 0438 US pacific time (1138 GMT) - the event will last almost three hours.
Because the Moon, Sun and Earth are not aligned, it will not reach "totality".
No comments:
Post a Comment