Weather hope ahead of lunar eclipse

A lunar eclipse will be visible from the Shetland Isles, if the weather holds
12 April 2012

A spectacular lunar eclipse will see the Moon glow burnt orange on Saturday afternoon - but only if the weather holds.

A MeteoGroup forecaster predicts adverse conditions mean there will be a 50% chance of seeing a full eclipse from the Shetland Islands.

Between 2.06pm and 2.58pm the northernmost tip of the UK may be able to witness the Sun, Earth and Moon falling almost exactly in line, giving the moon an orange hue.

The phenomenon will be most dramatic in East Asia, Australasia and the western Pacific.

Those living in Lerwick, in the Shetland Islands, however, are expected to see moonrise at 2.54pm, so will have four minutes to glimpse the celestial spectacle very low on the horizon.

Tom Tobler, weather forecaster for MeteoGroup, said that Shetland Islands inhabitants have a 50/50 chance of a clear view.

He said: "It's going to be a bit touch and go." There's quite a lot of cloud around during the morning and again towards the evening."

"At the time of the eclipse, probably less than half the sky will be covered with cloud."

Skywatchers in other UK locations may see a partial lunar eclipse, providing their views are not obscured by cloud.

Dr Robert Massey, of the Royal Astronomical Society (RAS), said: "It will literally just be for one or two minutes but even that is a bit uncertain because it all depends on the time the Moon rises, which is in itself a bit unpredictable. But eclipses are spectacular and it is certainly worth a bit of time to go and look at it."

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