People in Australia and New Zealand will be able to see a lunar eclipse on Tuesday. The next one won't be seen from the region until 25 years from now.
The moon goes through the Earth's shadow during a lunar eclipse. A partial eclipse is when the moon only partially makes it into the shadow. In a total eclipse, the moon is completely immersed in the water.
The period of totality, when the moon is completely immersed in the shadow, will last 85 minutes.
The only light that will reach the moon's surface will come from the Earth's atmosphere. It depends on how dusty the Earth is.
It will be great to show it to your family and friends without the need for equipment. Special care must be taken when viewing the sun, so it is safe to look at it.
On the night side of Earth, everyone will be able to see the lunar eclipse. Depending on your time zone, what time that is for you may be different.
The eclipse will happen late in the evening in New Zealand. The moon will be visible from the north.
The eclipse will occur around the moon. During the early stages of the eclipse, the moon will be lower in the sky.
The eclipse will be visible in eastern Australia after the full moon. You will need to wait until the eclipse begins if you are further north. The moon will be higher in the sky if it starts after moonrise. The eclipse starts after the moonrise.
The eclipse will start before the moon rises. It will start in central Australia a few minutes before the moonrise, while in Western Australia it will start by the time the moonrise occurs.
Perth will be able to see a full moon in the middle of the eclipse, but it will be in the shadow of the moon.
The eclipse will look great if you see it soon after the moon rises. That is because of the moon illusion. When the moon is low on the horizon, it looks larger than when it is high up.
If you have a clear view of the horizon, you can see the early parts of the eclipse. Everyone should be able to see the later part of the eclipse as the moon gets higher.
The moon is not the only thing you should be looking out for. The ice giant will appear near the moon during the eclipse. If you have a pair of binoculars, you can look for Uranus during totality.
On Wednesday, the day after the eclipse, it will be in the opposite part of the sky to the sun. The planet is at its closest point to the sun.
Even though it's so far away, it will look like a star. It will only be visible by a large telescope.
There are some nice stars and planets to see. The moon will be visible above Jupiter and Saturn.
Later in the evening, all viewers will be able to see the constellation of rising Taurus in the north-eastern part of the sky, along with the red giant star Aldebaran and its red supergiant Betelgeuse.
Mars will also appear. The moon, Aldebaran, Betelgeuse and Mars are all in the sky at the same time.
The lunar eclipses remind us that we live on a planet that moves through space. I like to imagine standing on the moon and seeing the sun blocked out by the Earth.
It is possible that astronomy can leave us feeling a little small, but also connected to something much grander.
The Conversation published this article. There is an astronomer at the University of Melbourne.
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