What time is the eclipse where I live?
This image shows the stages of a total lunar eclipse. At top left, you see the full moon before Earth's shadow falls upon it. As the eclipse progresses, you can see a dark shadow - Earth's shadow - begin to obscure more and more of the moon's face. During the total phase of the eclipse, when the moon is completely within Earth's shadow, the moon turns reddish in color! That's because some sunlight is filtering through Earth's atmosphere, coloring the shadow on the moon. (Luc Viator)
A total lunar eclipse happens when the sun, Earth and moon – moving in their intricate mutual dance through space – fall into a perfect line. At such times, Earth’s shadow falls on the moon, and we on Earth see an eclipse.
Several hours pass from the first brush of Earth’s shadow onto the moon’s face – through the stirring moments of total eclipse – until the Earth’s shadow leaves the moon again. The totality itself, when the moon is completely submerged in Earth’s shadow, lasts about an hour.
The lunar eclipse happens at the same time for all of us on Earth. It’s an experience many people share simultaneously. But, because we live in different time zones, our clocks say different times.
The February 20, 2008 total lunar eclipse is particularly convenient for viewing by us in North America. The times for North America are listed below.
If you’re outside North America, note the times listed below in Universal Time and convert to your location on the globe. To learn how to convert to your time zone, see this article: How do I translate Universal Time into my time?
The times for the February 20, 2008 lunar eclipse in the continental U.S. are listed below.
Partial eclipse begins: 1:43 Universal Time (UT) Feb. 21.
For continental U.S. time zones, the partial ecilpse begins the evening of Feb. 20.
8:43 p.m. EST
7:43 p.m. CST
6:43 p.m. MST
5:43 p.m. PST
Total eclipse (totality) begins: 3:01 UT on Feb. 21.
For continental U.S. time zones, totality begins on the evening of Feb. 20.
10:01 p.m. EST
9:01 p.m. CST
8:01 p.m. MST
7:01 p.m. PST
Greatest eclipse: 3:26 UT on Feb. 21.
For continental U.S. time zones, greatest eclipse occurs the evening of Feb. 20.
10:26 p.m. EST
9:26 p.m. CST
8:26 MST
7:26 PST
Total eclipse ends: 3:51 UT on Feb. 21.
For continental U.S. time zones, the total eclipse ends the evening of Feb. 20.
10:51 p.m. EST
9:51 p.m. CST
8:51 p.m. MST
7:51 p.m. PST
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