Lunar Eclipse December 2010

On 21st December, 2010, the entire world will witness the last eclipse of this year. It will be a total lunar eclipse which will be best viewed from the continent of North America and some parts of South America. If you are a resident of the United States of America, you are in for a celestial treat with the 21st December 2010 lunar eclipse which is special for more than one reason. Other than being the last eclipse of the year, this eclipse occurs on the day of winter solstice - an occurrence which was last observed way back in 1638.

How Does Lunar Eclipse Occur?

A lunar eclipse occurs when the Sun, Moon and the Earth come in a straight line in such as manner that the Earth - which lies between the Sun and the Moon, casts its shadow on the Moon and makes it disappear in the darkness. Other than this positioning of the three celestial bodies, the presence of a full Moon is also a basic requirement of this celestial event. The location of the Moon relative to its orbital nodes determines what type of lunar eclipse it would be and how long it will last. As opposed to solar eclipse, the eclipse of the Moon lasts for a longer duration of time. More importantly, it can be viewed from any part of the Earth which is experiencing night - unlike the eclipse of the Sun which is viewed from a small region on the planet.

Total Lunar Eclipse December 2010

Even though the occurrence of total lunar eclipses in winter in the northern hemisphere is quite common, it is very rare for such eclipse to occur exactly on the day of winter solstice. In 2010, the date of this eclipse coincides with winter solstice - and that makes this rare phenomenon a once in a lifetime occurrence for you. Basically, the December 2010 lunar eclipse is scheduled to occur on the 20th/21st, 2010, but it will be visible in North and South America only after midnight Eastern Standard Time - which means it will occur on 21st December, 2010. Owing to the proximity of the date of this eclipse to Christmas day, it is also known as the Christmas eclipse.

During this eclipse, the Moon will be situated in the Taurus constellation - at a point which is the northernmost point of the Moon's orbit at this time of the year. The penumbral phase of this eclipse is scheduled to begin at 05:27:43 UTC and terminate at 11:06:04 UTC. The total phase of this eclipse is scheduled to last for 1 hr 13 min 12 secs - between 07:40:21 UTC and 08:53:34 UTC. This eclipse will be at its greatest at 08:16:56 UTC.

Around 1.5 billion people across the world will be able to witness this celestial occurrence on 21st December, 2010. As we mentioned earlier, the entire event will be visible from North America and some regions of western South America. The fact that most of the regions of Europe and Africa will be experiencing moonset during this time means that this lunar eclipse will not be visible in this region. In case of Europe, however, Scandinavians in extreme north will be lucky enough to witness the entire proceedings. Similarly, people from eastern Asia will be able to witness the Moon rising in the eclipse.

While that would be the last eclipse of the year, the year 2011 also seems to be quite promising in context of such celestial occurrences. In fact, 2011 has 6 eclipses (2 lunar eclipses and 4 solar eclipses) lined up from 4th January to 10th December. While the two lunar eclipses are scheduled for 15th June and 10th December, the 4 solar eclipses are scheduled for 4th January, 1st June, 4th July and 25th November. If you are a true astronomy enthusiast, you should join the eclipse chasers bandwagon and fly to North America or western South America to witness this celestial occurrence which you will never see again.