Early Christmas Treat: 2010's Only Total Lunar Eclipse
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Just in time for Christmas.
The year's only total lunar eclipse will occur Monday night or early Tuesday depending on where you live.
North and Central America and a tiny sliver of South America will have the best view. Weather permitting, sky gazers in those regions should be able to view the entire eclipse, expected to last 3 1/2 hours.
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Weather May Affect Visibility of Eclipse, KNX 1070's Talks with Rob Suggs at the Marshall Space Center in Alabama
The moon is normally illuminated by the sun. During a total lunar eclipse, the full moon passes through the shadow created by the Earth blocking the sun's light.
Total eclipse begins at 11:41 p.m. Monday. The totality phase -- when the moon is entirely inside Earth's shadow -- will last a little over an hour.
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