{"id":4378,"date":"2011-12-09T09:04:21","date_gmt":"2011-12-09T16:04:21","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.thorntonweather.com\/blog\/?p=4378"},"modified":"2011-12-09T09:12:14","modified_gmt":"2011-12-09T16:12:14","slug":"early-risers-saturday-to-be-treated-to-super-sized-total-lunar-eclipse","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thorntonweather.com\/blog\/thornton-weather\/early-risers-saturday-to-be-treated-to-super-sized-total-lunar-eclipse\/","title":{"rendered":"Early risers Saturday to be treated to ‘super-sized’ total lunar eclipse"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"The
The last lunar eclipse until 2014 will be visible along the Colorado Front Range early Saturday morning. (ThorntonWeather.com)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

If you can get yourself out of bed early in the morning on Saturday, December 10, 2011 you will be treated to the last total lunar eclipse for nearly three years.\u00a0 For viewers in Thornton and along the Colorado Front Range, the event will be relatively quick but punctuated by a setting moon with the Rocky Mountains in the foreground.<\/p>\n

Saturday morning the moon will be passing through the lower half of the Earth\u2019s shadow just before it sets in the west at 7:12am MST Saturday.\u00a0 The low hanging moon will appear much larger than normal bringing what NASA calls a \u2018super-sized\u2019 eclipse.<\/p>\n

Because the moon will be low on the western horizon, finding a good spot to watch it will be critical.\u00a0 In Thornton, visitors to our Facebook page have suggested near the Thornton Civic Center, Brittany Hill or near the water towers at 112th Ave<\/span>\u00a0and I-25.\u00a0 Some higher locations along Colorado Blvd north of 136th\u00a0Ave might be good places as well.<\/p>\n

The December 10th eclipse will begin around 5:46am MST as the first part of Earth\u2019s shadow encroaches on the moon.\u00a0 Totality will be achieved at 7:06am MST.<\/p>\n

For watchers along the Colorado Front Range, the low moon with the Rocky Mountains to the west will render some extraordinary images.\u00a0 There is however a catch.<\/p>\n

The tall mountains on our western horizon are going to limit the time we are able to see the moon and the eclipse.\u00a0 In the Denver area, we won\u2019t actually be able to see the total eclipse as the moon will have disappeared behind the mountains by then.<\/p>\n

It is estimated metro area residents will be able to watch the show until about 6:50am at which point the moon will be below the horizon. \u00a0Clear skies are in the forecast<\/a> so clouds should not be a concern.<\/p>\n