Red Moon in heavens on December 10

Chamikara WEERASINGHE

Mark your calendar on December 10 to view and photograph a total lunar eclipse.

The Arthur C Clarke Institute for Modern Technologies yesterday announced that the eclipse can be viewed with one's eyes. "A lunar eclipse is never harmful to your eyes," the scientists said.

The moon will appear dark red as the Moon passes through the earth's shadow, they said.

The December 10 lunar eclipse will start at 5.03 pm and last until 11.00 pm. This will be the final eclipse of 2011.

The scientists said, "This is a rare occasion that the earth, the moon and the sun lines and the moon passes through the earth's shadow created by the sun."

The eclipse's total phase will last for 51 minutes with totality starting at 8.02 pm, the scientists said. The total eclipse is best seen from Australia and Asia, they added.

According to NASA, the December 10 lunar eclipse will be seen from Alaska, northern Canada, Australia, New Zealand, central and eastern Asia. Viewers in most of North America and Hawaii will still see the moonset still in eclipse.

Central and eastern Asia is where the eclipse can be best viewed and photographed.

People on the west coast of the United States and Canada will see the beginning of totality just as the moon disappears below the Western horizon. Viewers on the east coast will not see the start of the umbral eclipse before moonset, according to NASA.

Sri Lanka can view the total phase of the eclipse, said Arthur C Clarke Institute.