Taiwan gearing up for total lunar eclipse

Want China Times, CNA 2015-04-04

A total lunar eclipse in Taiwan, June 16, 2011. (Photo courtesy of
Central Weather Bureau)

Events are being held across Taiwan Saturday to observe a lunar eclipse set to take place later in the day.

The National Museum of Natural Science in central Taiwan's Taichung is carrying out events both at the museum itself and the Taichung Metropolitan Park, inviting stargazers to join a series of lectures and observations between 3pm and 9pm.

The eclipse will start before the moon is visible at around 6:04pm and last until 8:45pm, the museum said.

The moon will appear copper as it becomes fully obscured by the Earth's shadow between 7:54pm and 8:06pm, it said, adding that it will be the first time since last October that a total lunar eclipse will be visible throughout Taiwan.

The Taipei Astronomical Museum said it will open its observatory to the public between 6pm and 9:45pm, offering lectures explaining reasons behind the celestial event during the period and prizes for a quiz contest.

It will also air a live broadcast of the eclipse online at http://tamweb.tam.gov.tw/v3/TW/content.asp?mtype=c9&idx=333.

A total lunar eclipse occurs when the Earth, moon and sun are in perfect alignment, blanketing the moon in the Earth's shadow.

In the eclipse, the Earth is positioned between the sun and the moon, blocking sunlight from what would otherwise be a radiant full moon, and stargazers will see a bright full moon turn a reddish hue, according to the museums.

However, the moon does not completely disappear in a total lunar eclipse because of the refraction of sunlight by the Earth's atmosphere into the shadow cone.

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