Lunar Eclipse
Viewed from Berks County, PA on 2-20-08
© Brian A. Morganti
A total eclipse of the moon was visible from southeast Pennsylvania during the late evening hours of February 20th, 2008. A storm system with heavy overcast moved east of the area by 7:30pm EDT and the skies cleared nicely by the start of the partial eclipse at 8:43pm. The above partial eclipse phases bookend the total lunar eclipse phases (center) which were photographed between 10:15 and 10:45pm EDT.
The above sequence starts with the beginning of the partial eclipse phase at 8:43pm EDT and ends exactly three hours later at 11:43pm just before an intense snow squall ended the show. The "fuzziness" of the last four images was caused by a thickening layer of wind blown snow aloft that was rapidly moving southeastward. The moon was close to the zenith in the last shot immediately before it became completely obscured by the clouds and a subsequent snow squall.
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