On February 20th, we are going to observe a total lunar eclipse. A total lunar eclipse occurs when the full moon passes into Earth's shadow and is blocked from the sun's rays that normally illuminate it. During an eclipse, the sun, Earth and moon line up, leaving a darkened moon visible to observers on the night side of the planet. This rare act of nature will be the last time we see a total lunar eclipse until the winter of 2010. Even though lunar eclipses happen twice a year, it is very rare to have a full lunar eclipse because most of the time, the Sun, Earth, and Moon are aligned very closely, but not exactly with each other. This lunar eclipse can be seen by people in North and South America, Europe, and Africa. Unfortunately, this rare moment might be ruined by the clouds covering our area and many other Western States. This lunar eclipse can be seen tonight, starting at 6:45 p.m. and going until 10 p.m. The moon will be totally eclipsed for nearly an hour, starting around 8 p.m.

The lunar eclipse is supposed to be red, because it has to pass through the Earth's atmosphere, making the light rays scattered and in a dark red color. As I looked through the window, I did not see anything like a solar eclipse. I guessed we missed our chance to see the total lunar eclipse! Hope for a better luck in 2010.