Would you please give me information on the Lunar Eclipse that will be occuring this week. Also the best place and time for the full experience. I'm in Knightdale, NC. Thanks!

MIKE MOSS SAYS:      Ann,   This eclipse is timed a little odd for us to get the best possible look, but the moon will at least slip into totality while it is theoretically visible here (depending on cloud cover, haze, etc). The moon will begin to visibly slip into the earth's shadow on the morning of Tuesday August 28th at about 04:41 am EDT (that is, the partial eclipse begins at that time. The moon will move completely within the shadow (total eclipse) at 05:52 am. At that time, it will be low in the west-southwestern sky (about 10 degrees above the horizon, at an azimuth of about 250 degrees) and will begin to emerge from the earth's shadow at 06:37 am, setting ten minutes after that. Note that the sun will rise on the opposite horizon at 06:43 am, so the eclipsed moon will have to compete against brightening skies as it sinks toward the horizon. As far as a good place, the best views will probably involve relatively high elevations (hills, ridgetops or upper stories of structures) with a clear view toward the western horizon.

For more info on the eclipse, see

http://sunearth.gsfc.nasa.gov/eclipse/LEmono/TLE2007Aug28/TLE2007Aug28.html