The whole process takes several hours, so you can check back from time to time during commercial breaks or while waiting for a response to your latest brilliant post.

The times below are Eastern Standard Time. Just convert for your own time zone. (The diagram below gives PST times) The eclipse happens simultaneously from all viewpoints.

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Partial eclipse start      8:43 pm    
Total eclipse start       10:00
Midpoint                  10:26
Total eclipse end         10:52
Partial eclipse end       12:09 am     

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The next lunar eclipse won't be for a couple of years, so don't miss this chance.

The eclipse is safe to observe with the naked eye, binoculars, or a telescope.

As the shadow of the Earth covers the Moon, it doesn't become completely dark. Light refracted through the Earth's atmosphere still reaches the shadowed Moon and gives it a dull brown or reddish glow. The exact color of the glow and its darkness depend on the sootiness of our atmosphere - how recently volcanoes have gone off and how much cloud cover, storm activity, and human pollution there is around the globe.

As the shadow of the Earth moves across the bright face of the Moon, note that the edge of the shadow is curved. This proved to the ancient Greek astronomers that the Earth was round!

[ 22 February 2008: Message edited by: M. Spector ]

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Originally posted by remind:
Also, do you know why that only for the next 4-5 days the daylight will be 4 mins longer, and then goes back to as scheduled?

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Mark Madriega on Global Vancouver weather this morning, mentioned that for the next 4-5 days the days, actual daylight would be 4 mins longer, and then it goes back to the normal progression and I missed why he was saying this. But thought it weird.

Anyway, partial eclipse is on right now. Everybody stick your heads out your door or window to take a look. The Earth's shadow on the moon is curved, which is how the ancients figured out that the Earth is round.

It's an amazing sight, and it'll be totally eclipsed from 10:00 EST / 7:00 PST for about 52 minutes.

Which is just what it is. As the sun drops below the horizon the sky is red. Now imagine you're standing on the moon, watching the eclipse of the sun. As the earth moves in front of the sun, the only light you can see is the reddish sunset sky around the globe above you. So looking around the moon's surface, everything is now sunset colour. Which is what we're seeing.

The other bright object nearby, just above the Moon, is the star Regulus.

Cross-posted with Albireo.

[ 20 February 2008: Message edited by: M. Spector ]