Total Lunar Eclipse Thursday May 15 Is First In Years

The first eclipse of 2003 occurs the night of Thursday May 15 and will be visible across North America as well as in South America, Europe and Africa. The entire eclipse, over three hours long, will be visible from start to finish in the Eastern United States. Mid-eclipse occurs at 03:40 Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) or 11:40 PM Eastern Daylight Time (EDT). Those in the Western U.S. will view moonrise of an already darkened moon. Observers will notice a significant reddish or “copper” color effect starting about an hour and a half before mid-eclipse as the moon enters the inner, darker part of Earth’s shadow called the umbra. Enjoy!