Lunar Eclipse Dazzles Skywatchers

by Dave Mosher, Staff Writer

Date: 28 August 2007 Time: 09:55 AM ET

A view of the lunar eclipse from Japan's northernmost main island of Hokkaido on Aug. 28, 2007. The Earth's shadow crept across the moon's surface slowly eclipsing it and turning it to shades of orange and red during second total lunar eclipse this year.
CREDIT: Rikubetsu Astronomy and Terrestrial Science Museum/AP

Those who gazed into the darkened skies early Tuesday morning caught a breathtaking view of a blood-red lunar eclipse.

The second such event of the year gave those along the Pacific Rim, including California, New Zealand and eastern Australia a view of a total lunar eclipse from start to finish. Inhabitants in the Central U.S. and Canada through New England and even Japan, however, also got a spectacular view.

Earth's full shadow, or umbra, crept over the moon at 4:51 a.m. EDT (1:51 a.m. PDT) and completely covered it by 5:32 EDT (2:52 PDT). The celestial event ended after sunrise on the East coast and at 4:22 a.m. PDT on the West coast.

Viewer's Guide: Total Eclipse Details
Starry Night Online: Virtual View of the Eclipse
Video: All About This Eclipse

SPACE.com's Skywatching Columnist Joe Rao contributed to this report.