What is the earliest a total lunar eclipse would be visable?

Question

Consider, the eclipse is created when the moon passes into the shadow of the Earth. This would indicate that the sun and the moon are on opposite sides of the planet. How early in the afternoon could the eclipse be visible?

According to James Bruce, in "Travels to Discover the Source of the Nile, vol IV," he used his knowledge of an eclipse to escape the wrath of the Sheikh of Beyla. (Beyla being in Republic of Guinea today)

"If the afternoon of that [Friday] shall pass like those of common days, I am a worthless man and an imposter; butif on thatday after four o'clock a sign be seen in the heavens that shall be thought by all of you unusual and extraordinary, then I am an innocent man."

Further, it is claimed that there was indeed a total eclipse visable at ten minutes past four. To me, this seemed unlikely, particularly in such a near equitorial locale.

Perhaps it was poor form of me not to repeat the phrasing of "lunar eclipse" in all references.

The text I have continues:

He [Bruce] waited until the moon had risen and the earth's shadow was well on its way across the disk before turning to his accusers...

"'Now look at that,' said [Bruce]; 'in some time after this moon shall be so totally swallowed up in the darkness, that a small shell shall only be seen at the edges.'

Also, as noted above, this is not in an arctic region, but around only 9 degrees north latitude.

Answer 1

Maybe the text is talking about a Solar eclipse. That could easily happen at 4 PM.

A lunar eclipse can be seen at any time of the "day" in the arctic or antarctic.

Answer 2

Hi Jim!

I'm afraid there must be a bit of poetic license in this work, because a lunar eclipse cannot happen around 4 p.m. in the tropics.

An eclipse of the moon can happen only at the full moon phase, when the moon is directly opposite the sun in the sky. In other words, the earliest the moon can be seen in the afternoon is at sunset.

In the tropics, sunset happens only in a narrow range slightly before or slightly after 6 p.m. Although from northern Europe you could in December have moonrise around 4 p.m., this could not happen in the tropics.

The effect of Standard time makes the hour of sunset on the clock different from apparent solar time. In central Africa, though, none of the time zones is so radically shifted as to cause even a one-hour change in the clock time of sunset. (And they probably did not yet have Standard time in Africa at the time of this work.)

There are some places, like mainland China and far western Alaska, where Standard time does causes a two-hour shift, but in these places, the moon would rise two or more hours later on the clock than solar time dictates they should, 8 p.m. not 4 p.m.

I'm afraid that either the author had a poor understanding of astronomy, or he had forgotten to turn his watch ahead the two hours time difference between England and central Africa.

Answer 3

Solar eclipses can happen anytime the sun is visible (and the new mon is in the right position, of course).

Lunar eclipses happen anytime the full moon is visible (and the earth is in the correct position...)

This includes, as stated above, latitudes higher than the arctic and antarctic circles, where either one can be seen any time of day (during the appropriate season).

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Answer 4

Considering that the sun and the moon are on opposite sides of the earth, the earliest it can happen is sunset. That's when the moon rises when it's full.

Answer 5

lunar eclipses can be seen anytime of the day but you have to watch out for the eclipse to happen try an experiment to find out your self.

Answer 6

there is no set time that any eclipse can happen. who gets to view the eclipce all depends on where you are on this planet