HVCC professor provides intel on Total Lunar Eclipse

Assistant Professor Richard Monda from HVCC has put together information on the Total Lunar Eclipse occurring on Tuesday, November 8. Take a break from election day and check out the “Beaver Moon Total Lunar Eclipse."

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- Assistant Professor Richard Monda from HVCC has put together information on the Total Lunar Eclipse occurring on Tuesday, November 8. Take a break from election day and check out the “Beaver Moon Total Lunar Eclipse."

Richard Monda, who has taught Physics and Astronomy at Hudson Valley Community College since 2001 has put together all you need to know about the November eclipse. The early morning event is known as the “Beaver Moon Total Lunar Eclipse” because November’s full moon is called the Beaver Moon. Monda explains a total eclipse of the moon happens when the entire moon is within the dark, inner shadow of the earth. Total lunar eclipses happen when the earth is between the sun and the moon and the earth cats its shadow over the entire lunar surface.

Monda states the earth casts two shadows in space a lighter, outer, diverging shadow cone called the penumbra and a darker, inner, converging shadow cone called the umbra. A total eclipse of the moon happens when the entire lunar sphere is within the earth's umbral shadow, explains Monda. Although the lunar eclipse technically begins when the moon enters the penumbra, its periphery is so light it might be until the moon has moved halfway into the penumbra that a casual observer will notice any shadowing on the eastern side of the moon comments Monda.

According to Monda, during totality of the November 8 eclipse, it is predicted that the moon will take on a “deep-red tint.” This phenomenon is known as a “Blood Moon,” and is caused by sunlight shining around the earth, through the atmosphere and onto the moon. A person on the moon during a total lunar eclipse could look back at the earth and see a circle of red-orange light surrounding it, all the sunrises and sunsets that are taking place on earth. Monda states the eclipse will be visible across the entire U.S where there are clear skies.

Monda has provided a timetable for the public to check out the lunar eclipse.

Timetable

• 3:01 a.m., Lunar Eclipse begins, too faint to be seen
• 4:09 a.m., Partial Lumar Eclipse begins, moon begins to enter earth's umbral shadow
• 5:16 a.m., Total Lunar Eclipse begins, moon completely within earth's umbral shadow
• 5:59 a.m., Maximum Eclipse, moon expected to take on a “deep-red tint,” known as a “Blood Moon.”
• 6:38 a.m., Sunrise
• 6:42 a.m., Total Lunar Eclipse ends, moon begins to exit earth’s umbral shadow. (Partial phases begin again.) Not visible due to sunrise
• 6:45 a.m., Moon sets
• 7:49 a.m., Partial Lunar eclipse ends, moon exits earth's umbral shadow, not viable due to moonset
• 8:58 a.m., Penumbral Lunar Eclipse ends, moon exits earth’s penumbral shadow, not observable.

Assistant Professor Richard Monda, a member of HVCC’s Biology, Chemistry, and Physics Department since 2001, has devoted his career to science education specifically in astronomy.