Total Eclipse Coming Feb. 20

3 billion could see Earth's shadow blot moon
By Harry Kimball,  Newser Staff
Posted Feb 7, 2008 6:02 PM CST
Total Eclipse Coming Feb. 20
The moon is seen being covered by a shadow as the earth passes between the sun and the moon over Angel Moroni statue during a full lunar eclipse seen from Bogota early Tuesday, Aug. 28, 2007. The event was widely visible from the United States and Canada as well as South America, the Pacific Ocean,...   (Associated Press)

Nearly half the world's population will find themselves really in the dark Feb. 20 as Earth's shadow totally eclipses the moon, LiveScience reports. Visible to 3 billion residents of North and South America, Europe, Africa, and parts of Asia, the eclipsed moon will create a celestial triangle in the night sky, joining the planet Saturn and the bright star Regulus.

The third such occurrence in a year, the lunar eclipse will begin at 10:01 pm ET. Weather permitting, North American backyard astronomers will be able to observe the entire 51-minute phase, but shouldn't expect utter darkness. The Earth's shadow is never total, and the rays of the sun that slip through our atmosphere will give the satellite a rusty, red-and-orange tint. (More moon stories.)

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