At evening dusk, as you’re looking eastward for the Earth’s shadow, look in the opposite direction for the planet Venus and the star Regulus. Click here for a sky almanac
As you look for the Earth’s shadow in the western sky at dawn, look in the opposite direction for the planets Jupiter and Mars. Click here for a sky almanac
Here’s a lovely photo of the Earth’s shadow, which can be seen any clear evening ascending in the eastern sky at the same rate that the sun sets below the western horizon. The shadow is a deep blue-grey – darker than the blue of the twilight sky. The pink band above the shadow is called the Belt of Venus.
The shadow of the Earth is big. You might have to turn your head to see the whole thing. And the shadow is curved, in just the same way that the whole Earth is curved. Earth’s shadow extends hundreds of thousands of miles into space, so far that it can touch the moon. Whenever that happens, there’s an eclipse of the moon.
Check out Earth’s shadow – in the east at sunset or in the west at sunrise – next time you have a clear sky. I often see it while out on the streets of my town as the sun is setting.
By the way, this image shows more or less the same moon phase that you’ll see tonight. It’ll be a waxing gibbous moon that’ll be visible in the east after sunset this evening. Full moon will come on July 22, 2013.
This image is the full moon at the Woomera missile range in Australia. Used with permission.
Understanding waxing gibbous moon
Can you tell me the full moon names?
