By Lilianne Smith
The sun, earth and moon will align tonight in a total lunar eclipse.
The eclipse will begin at approximately 9:10 p.m., and the Earth''s shadow will completely immerse the moon for about 53 minutes.
The eclipse will last three hours and 15 minutes from start to finish, according to the NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center''s Web site.
A lunar eclipse only occurs at a full moon and only when the Earth is exactly between the sun and the moon.
From Utah skies, the partial phases will begin before moonrise at around 8:10 p.m. As the partial eclipse begins, the moon''s eastern edge will gradually move into the Earth''s umbral shadow and will take about an hour for the moon''s orbit to carry it entirely within the Earth''s umbra.
The moon is expected to take on a vivid red or orange color during the total phase.
After the total phase ends, a partial eclipse will again take place as the moon gradually leaves the umbral shadow, and the eclipse will completely end by 11:20 p.m.
'The eclipse tomorrow is an exceptionally accessible one because it will just be beginning when the moon rises,' said Clark Christensen, a professor of physics and astronomy at BYU.
He said a total lunar eclipse is a beautiful event, and although it may not have the sensational factor of a solar eclipse, it is nonetheless a spectacular event that one should not miss.
The last visible total lunar eclipse in Utah was Jan. 20, 2000, and the next eclipse will take place Nov. 9 of this year.
Jeannette Lawler, BYU''s planetarium director, suggests that everyone see at least one lunar eclipse.
She said students should look forward to the eclipse in October 2004 because the moon will get much darker than usual.
Lunar eclipses are completely safe to watch and can be seen without expensive equipment, according to a NASA news release.
Any place the moon is visible is recommended for viewing the eclipse. However, viewing the eclipse from a dark site with no visible city lights will heighten the experience and help an observer see the moon better, said Benjamin Taylor, a professor of physics and astronomy at BYU.
He suggested traveling to Provo Canyon in the general direction of Heber, or going to the west side of Utah Lake, where the city lights will not be as obtrusive.
Also, BYU''s observation deck located on top of the Eyring Science Center will open at 8 p.m. tonight for those who want to watch the eclipse from campus.
Cameron Wilde, 25, from Hillsboro, Ore., majoring in electrical engineering, joined BYU''s Astronomical Society because he thought astronomy was fun.
He said 'space is a frontier that we don''t know a whole lot about, and we learn a lot about it as we go along.'
'I like anything that has to do with the stars,' Wilde said. He said he will pull out his telescope to look at the eclipse.
'Admirers of all walks of life will have a wonderful experience with viewing this event,' stated Fred Espenak, the Webmaster of the NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center.
He said the lunar eclipse can help cultivate a curiosity in science and astronomy, and can provide unique learning opportunities for families, students and teachers.
According to Espenak, the nature lover and naturalist can appreciate and celebrate the lunar eclipse, and help individuals make connections of their place among the planets in the solar system.
'It is this knowledge that feeds the fire of our journey through the vastness of space,' he said.