A Lucky Lunar Eclipse

Tonight's full moon would normally washout the spectacle of
Comet Hyakutake's lovely tail, even for those far from light polluted skies.
Except that tonight comet observers are in luck - the dance of the planets calls
for a total lunar eclipse! Lunar eclipses are caused when the Moon passes
through the Earth's shadow. Although dimmed, the eclipsed Moon may not
appear completely dark. Sunlight scattered into the Earth's shadow after passing
around the planet's edge and through its dusty atmosphere can make the Moon
take on dramatic shades of red during totality as demonstrated in the above
photo of the November 1993 lunar eclipse. Tonight, totality begins at 6:26 p.m.
EST and lasts about an hour and a half. Weather permitting, the eclipse will be
visible for all those comet and moon watchers lucky enough to be on the
Earth's nightside.