Eclipse (continued)
+
ward
'
s
science
Fig. 8 Stages of the total lunar eclipse of December 21, 2010.
(Credit: Glenn Schneider)
Lunar eclipses are visible from much larger geographic areas
than are solar eclipses. This is due to the fact that each lunar
eclipse can be viewed from the entire night hemisphere of the
Earth. Unlike solar eclipses, which require special filters for eye
protection except during totality, lunar eclipses are completely
safe to view using the unaided eye or binoculars.
Visibility
For each type of lunar eclipse, the Moon's maximum depth
into either the penumbra or umbra is characterized by a value
called the eclipse magnitude. This is the fraction of the Moon's
diameter immersed in the shadow. For total eclipses, the um-
bral eclipse magnitude is always equal to or greater than 1.0.
