Lunar Eclipses

The first total lunar eclipse in more than three years will sweep across North America tonight, possibly giving residents of Southern California a striking view of an oddly shaped, blood-red moon. When the moon rises at 7:40 p.m., it will already be in the beginning phases of the eclipse. The spectacle, which will peak between 8:13 p.m. and 9:06 p.m. local time and last until nearly 11 p.m.

California residents can see a total eclipse of the moon Thursday evening, the first total eclipse visible in the United States since January 2000. The eclipse already will have begun when the moon rises above the horizon, with the total eclipse occurring at 8:14 p.m. The eclipse will be over at 10:17 p.m.

A lunar eclipse and the cacophonous arrival of a famous holy man fed religious fervor on the second day of Hinduism's biggest festival on Wednesday as the crowd of pilgrims swelled into the millions. Ash-smeared sages and their saffron-clad apostles headed for the confluence of the Ganges and Yamuna rivers before dawn to immerse themselves in the holy water during the full eclipse of the moon, an auspicious moment of the 42-day Kumbh Mela festival.

The first total eclipse of the moon in two years and what many are predicting will be the most spectacular of the past decade will begin tonight at twilight. A total lunar eclipse occurs when the sun, Earth and moon form a straight line in space and the moon passes through the Earth's shadow. This can happen only when the moon is full, as it is tonight. The moon will rise at 4:59 this afternoon, coincidentally the same time as the sun sets.

The first total lunar eclipse visible in Orange County since 1996 will glow brick red Thursday night high in the crisp winter sky between 6-10 p.m. Unlike solar eclipses, lunar events are safe to watch with the naked eye. Blocking Out the Sun During the eclipse, the full Moon passes through the Earth's shadow. A full eclipse - called totality - includes a partial eclipse before and after the main event.

Budding astronomers are invited to check out a partial lunar eclipse and munch some toasted marshmallows tonight at Malibu Creek State Park. Steve Killgore, a park docent, will explain the "geometry and history" of eclipses. "Around the time the sun sets, the corner of the moon is going to be a little bit dimmed," Killgore said. The event is not a major eclipse, but it is one of several due in the coming months.

Amy Bruchmann came for the colors. Susan Ambriz wanted to see something she had never seen and wouldn't see again until 2000. And Jessica Hodes said she was just awed by the enormity of the experience. "The universe is so big and there's so much in it that no one knows about. This is awesome," Hode, 18, said as she stood on the softball field at Orange Coast College and stared up at the total eclipse of the moon.

North and South America will be treated Sept. 26 to a total lunar eclipse. "The big questions at this eclipse are how dark the moon is going to get and what colors it's going to show," said Alan MacRobert, an editor at Cambridge-based Sky & Telescope magazine. When fully eclipsed, the moon will dimly glow orange-red or red-brown, depending on the amount of dust in the stratosphere.

By the light of the silvery moon, Bob Brown set up shop Sunday night, positioning his refracting telescope ever so carefully to make the lunar eclipse come alive. For amateur astronomers, Sunday was no evening to miss, and at age 74, Brown was not sure he was going to see another like it.