Eastern horizon as seen from Sydney on April 15 at 6:30 pm AEST. Totality is just ending. Click image to enlarge
Eastern horizon as seen from Adelaide on April 15 at 6:00 pm ACST Totality is just ending. Click image to enlarge
Eastern horizon as seen from Sydney on April 15 at 7:00 pm AEST. The eclipse is half finished. Click image to enlarge
Eastern horizon as seen from Adelaide on April 15 at 6:30 pm ACST. The eclipse is half finished. Click image to enlarge
This evening in the twilight (Tuesday 15 April) there’ll be a total eclipse of the Moon. The first of two visible from Australia this year, the eclipsed Moon is accompanied by the red planet Mars. The twilight 15 April eclipse is visible in the eastern and central states, Western Australia misses out entirely.
Although most of the eclipse occurs in the twilight, it will still be interesting to watch. The eclipsed Moon at twilight has an entirely different look to a normal rising Moon with the pearly-yellow light replaced with a coppery-red glow. You will need a flat, clear horizon (especially in the central states), but for those with an eastern sea view, the sight of the eclipsed Moon rising from the sea like a bubble of blood will be amazing.
Unlike Solar eclipses, Lunar eclipses are perfectly safe to watch with the unaided eye and require no special equipment, just your eyes.
The start of the eclipse, and the beginning of totality occur below the horizon in Australia.
For the East Coast Moon Rise occurs around the time of maximum eclipse (scroll down to see the table below for exact times for major Australian and New Zealand cities). As the Moon rises and the sky darkens, the shadow of the Earth slowly slips off and the ruddy planet Mars pops into view. By the time the sky is fully dark there will still be a chip out of the Moon.
For the Central states Moon Rise occurs just as maximum eclipse is ending, but you still get to see the mostly eclipsed moon, looking like a rusty shadow, rise into the darkening sky accompanied by ruddy Mars (see the table below). It will be a quite different experience from the usual Lunar eclipses, and very worthwhile.
New Zealand sees a lot more of the eclipse, with the umbral eclipse starting as the Moon rises (see the table below).
See here for a map and contact timings in UT for sites outside Australia
For some good tips on photographing the eclipse, see here.
If everything is clouded out locally, you can watch it live here.
And no, this eclipse will NOT herald the “End of Days”.
Adelaide (ACST)
- Moonrise / Sunset:
- 5:48 pm/5:52 pm
- Maximum Eclipse:
- 5:16 pm
- Totality End:
- 5:54 pm
- Eclipse End:
- 7:03 pm
## Alice Springs (ACST)
- Moonrise / Sunset:
- 6:19 pm/6:21 pm
- Maximum Eclipse:
- 5:16 pm
- Totality End:
- 5:54 pm
- Eclipse End:
- 7:03 pm
## Auckland (NZT)
- Moonrise / Sunset:
- 5:48 pm/5:56 pm
- Maximum Eclipse:
- 7:45 pm
- Totality End:
- 8:24 pm
- Eclipse End:
- 9:33 pm
## Brisbane (AEST)
- Moonrise / Sunset:
- 5:27 pm/5:31 pm
- Maximum Eclipse:
- 5:48 pm
- Totality End:
- 6:25 pm
- Eclipse End:
- 7:33 pm
## Cairns (AEST)
- Moonrise / Sunset:
- 6:03 pm/6:08 pm
- Maximum Eclipse:
- 5:48 pm
- Totality End:
- 6:25 pm
- Eclipse End:
- 7:33 pm
## Canberra (AEST)
- Moonrise / Sunset:
- 5:35 pm/5:40 pm
- Maximum Eclipse:
- 5:48 pm
- Totality End:
- 6:25 pm
- Eclipse End:
- 7:33 pm
## Christchurch (NZT)
- Moonrise / Sunset:
- 5:48 pm/5:57 pm
- Maximum Eclipse:
- 7:45 pm
- Totality End:
- 8:24 pm
- Eclipse End:
- 9:33 pm
## Darwin (ACST)
- Moonrise / Sunset:
- 6:40 pm/6:41 pm
- Maximum Eclipse:
- 5:16 pm
- Totality End:
- 5:54 pm
- Eclipse End:
- 7:03 pm
## Hobart (AEST)
- Moonrise / Sunset:
- 5:33 pm/5:39 pm
- Maximum Eclipse:
- 5:48 pm
- Totality End:
- 6:25 pm
- Eclipse End:
- 7:33 pm
## Melbourne (AEST)
- Moonrise / Sunset:
- 5:49 pm/5:54 pm
- Maximum Eclipse:
- 5:48 pm
- Totality End:
- 6:25 pm
- Eclipse End:
- 7:33 pm
## Perth (AWST)
- Moonrise / Sunset:
- 5:55 pm/5:56 pm
- Maximum Eclipse:
- below horizon
- Totality End:
- below horizon
- Eclipse End:
- below horizon
## Rockhampton (AEST)
- Moonrise / Sunset:
- 5:39 pm/5:44 pm
- Maximum Eclipse:
- 5:48 pm
- Totality End:
- 6:25 pm
- Eclipse End:
- 7:33 pm
## Sydney (AEST)
- Moonrise / Sunset:
- 5:28 pm/5:33 pm
- Maximum Eclipse:
- 5:48 pm
- Totality End:
- 6:25 pm
- Eclipse End:
- 7:33 pm
## Townsville (AEST)
- Moonrise / Sunset:
- 5:57 pm/6:02 pm
- Maximum Eclipse:
- 5:48 pm
- Totality End:
- 6:25 pm
- Eclipse End:
- 7:33 pm