• Submitted by: admin
• Science and Technology
• 03 / 03 / 2007

A total lunar eclipse takes place Saturday and can be seen in Africa, Europe, Western Asia and the eastern half of the American Continent, informed Cubas Geophysics and Astronomy Institute.

The phase of total eclipse begins at 5:44 p.m. (with the moon still not visible in Cuba) and ends at 6:58 p.m. (Cuban time), 49 minutes after sunset in Santiago de Cuba and only 25 minutes after sunset in Havana. For this reason the phase of total eclipse will only be visible in the eastern half of the island during the last minutes of sunset.

When the total eclipse phase ends the moon will be located at 13 degrees above the horizon in Santiago de Cuba and only 6 degrees above in the capital Havana.

The final partial phase of the eclipse, more easily seen on the island, will conclude at 8:12 p.m.

The word eclipse comes from the Greek ekleipsis and means disappearance. Astronomers define it as a celestial body that hides another.