WORLD 9 February 2009 First lunar eclipse of 2009 the deepest

The first lunar eclipse of 2009 is the deepest of three penumbral lunar eclipses of the year. A fourth lunar eclipse in 2009 is partial. The Feb 9 eclipse will be easily visible to the naked eye, according to NASA, as a dusky shading in the northern half of the Moon. Alaska, Hawaii, Australia and East Asia will be able to see the entire event. In North America, western regions will have the best views, with moonset occurring sometime after mid-eclipse. Easterners will miss it entirely as it begins after moonset.

The second and third penumbral lunar eclipses, on 7 Jul then 6 Aug, will not be visible to the naked eye. Viewers in the Eastern Hemisphere should be able to see the last lunar eclipse of 2009, a partial lunar eclipse that occurs on New Year's Eve.

Lunar eclipses occur when the Earth interrupts light shining on the Moon. It can only occur at Full Moon. The outer or penumbral shadow is a zone where the Earth blocks part of the Sun's rays from reaching the Moon. In contrast, the inner or umbral shadow is a region where the Earth blocks all direct sunlight from reaching the Moon.

Total lunar eclipses occur when the entire Moon passes through Earth's umbral shadow, a striking event because of the Moon's vibrant red color during the total phase. The next total lunar eclipse occurs on 21 Dec 2010. Nov/08

RELATED READING:

NASA eclipse web site
http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/eclipse.html

Lunar eclipses for beginners (Mr. Eclipse.com)
http://www.mreclipse.com/Special/LEprimer.html