Total lunar eclipse in Hong Kong on 16 June

A total lunar eclipse will occur in the morning on 16 June (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 theattached diagramfor the path of the moon during the eclipse.

Details of the total lunar eclipse are as follows:

	Hong Kong Time	Direction (Azimuth)	Elevation
Moon enters penumbra	1.23am	South-southwest (200 degrees)	41 degrees
Moon enters umbra	2.23am	Southwest (215 degrees)	35 degrees
Total eclipse begins	3.22am	Southwest (227 degrees)	26 degrees
Middle of eclipse	4.13am	Southwest (234 degrees)	17 degrees
Total eclipse ends	5.03am	West-southwest (240 degrees)	8degrees
Moonset	5.46am	West-southwest (245 degrees)	-1degrees

"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 10 December 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:
http://www.weather.gov.hk/gts/astron2011/lunar_eclipse_e.htm