IN the early morning hours of 16 June 2011, Tonga will experience another lunar
eclipse.

But unlike the eclipse of last year which was excellently visible in the middle of the night, this time Tonga will be on the border. In fact the umbral shadow of the earth will not start to cross the lunar surface until 7:22. That is just the moment that the moon sets and the sun rises. The total eclipse, running from 8:22 to 10:22, therefore happens in the morning when it is daylight and nothing is to be seen. Unless you happen to be in the Indian ocean or the countries around it, that is. We shall have more luck in the night of 10 to 11 December this year.

Firitia Velt,

Fasi & afi

firitia [at] tau [dot] olunga [dot] to