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A total lunar eclipse will occur in the morning on June 16 (Thursday) and will be visible in Hong Kong if the weather is fine.
The Scientific Officer of the Hong Kong Observatory, Mr Woo Wang-chun, said, "The duration of totality (from beginning to end of total eclipse) will last for one hour and 41 minutes, the longest since the year 2000. The moon will not completely disappear but will appear coppery-red in colour during totality. This is because sunlight will be refracted by the Earth's atmosphere and projected onto the moon. As the moon will have already set before the eclipse completes, the sequence of the moon leaving the umbra will be invisible in Hong Kong."
Please refer to the attachment for the path of the moon during the eclipse.
Details of the total lunar eclipse are as follows:
Hong Kong Direction
Time (Azimuth) Elevation
--------- --------- ---------
Moon enters 1.23am South-southwest 41 degrees
penumbra (200 degrees)
Moon enters 2.23am Southwest 35 degrees
umbra (215 degrees)
Total eclipse 3.22am Southwest 26 degrees
begins (227 degrees)
Middle of 4.13am Southwest 17 degrees
eclipse (234 degrees)
Total eclipse 5.03am West-southwest 8 degrees
ends (240 degrees)
Moonset 5.46am West-southwest -1 degree
(245 degrees)
"Since the elevation of the moon is rather high in the early part of the eclipse, most places with an unobstructed view to the southwest are suitable for viewing the event. To observe the whole process, one may view from the seaside of western Kowloon, the southern part of Hong Kong Island, Tuen Mun and Cheung Chau, etc." said Mr Woo.
The next lunar eclipse observable in Hong Kong will occur on December 10, 2011, which will also be a total eclipse.
Please refer to the Observatory's website for a detailed explanation of the technical terms used for different stages of the eclipse: www.weather.gov.hk/gts/astron2011/lunar_eclipse_e.htm.
Ends/Thursday, June 2, 2011
Issued at HKT 17:45
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