A total lunar eclipse will occur during the night of 2008 FEB 20/21.  As with any Full Moon, it will be visible from the entire nighttime side of the Earth.  Most or all of it will be seen in the Americas, Europe and Africa.
 
The maximum magnitude in the umbra will be 1.105.  That means during totality the greatest separation between the edge of the umbra (dark portion of Earth’s shadow) and the nearest point on the limb of the Moon will be 10.5% of a lunar diameter.  The greatest possible magnitude is 1.881, as will occur on 2756 JUN 05.
 
This will be the last total lunar eclipse until 2010 DEC 21, although there will be three partial lunar eclipses between now and then.
 
Below are my predictions for the various stages of the event in Universal (Greenwich) Time.  I use the French Rule for shadow sizes and know of no other source that takes into account the oblate shape of the Earth.

00:37 UT – Moon enters penumbra (gray fringe shadow)
01:43 UT – Moon enters umbra (dark inner shadow)
02:18 UT – 50% of Moon’s diameter covered by umbra (magnitude 0.500)
03:01 UT – Totality begins (magnitude 1.000)
03:26 UT – Maximum eclipse (magnitude 1.105)
03:51 UT – Totality ends (magnitude 1.000)
04:34 UT – 50% of Moon’s diameter covered by umbra (magnitude 0.500)
05:09 UT – Moon exits umbra (dark inner shadow)
06:16 UT – Moon exits penumbra (gray fringe shadow)

I’ve created graphics that illustrate the stages of the eclipse as seen from Arlington Heights, Illinois and London, England.  They should well serve most observers in North America or Europe.  They can be seen by clicking:  http://www.curtrenz.com/astronomical.html

Photos and descriptions of the eclipse would be welcome additions to this thread.

I know I'm looking forward to this,....The last one in August was just awesome!

The last one in the UK was on the 3rd March 2007.   The weather cleared with minutes to spare before the umbra hit the moon.   From my location it stayed clear for the entire eclipse.  On the 21st, I believe the moon will enter the shadow particularly deeply, so it might not have that brighter edge to it.   

I include the image I took at totality in March to compare.

Actually, the upcoming eclipse will not be deep at all.  As I noted above, its magnitude will only be 1.105.  The magnitude of the 2007 MAR 03 eclipse was 1.231.  The minimum possible magnitude for a total lunar eclipse is 1.000 and the maximum is 1.881.  See my initial post in this thread for the method of magnitude determination and a link to a diagram.  Compared with long term averages, the 20th and 21st centuries have unusually high numbers of lunar eclipses that become total, but relatively low numbers of deep ones, i.e. > mag 1.5. 

Centaur:

Actually, the upcoming eclipse will not be deep at all.

That will teach me to accept everything I read ! (Icouldn't access your web site when I wrote my post, but it is ok now.)   Looking at it with my own planetarium software shows that the distance between the limb and the edge of the umbra is only half what it was last March, which confirms what you say.

Running through the list of lunar eclipses, I think the next one I will see is in 2015, so perhaps I will set the alarm clock for the 21st!

Aratus:

Running through the list of lunar eclipses, I think the next one I will see is in 2015, so perhaps I will set the alarm clock for the 21st!

Aratus, you should be able to witness the first half of the eclipse of 2010 DEC 21.  The Moon will set for you while in totality. 

Thanks Centaur.  You are right theoretically, but in reality I think it will disappear from my view before totality.  The 2010 totality begins at about 07:36 and the moon, for me, will only be about 5° above the horizon.    I think I would have to relocate myself to see that.  (Preferably 3000 miles west!  )

I was just checking out Starry Night for the eclipse and it looks like Saturn will be in view also.

Al

armchairal:

I was just checking out Starry Night for the eclipse and it looks like Saturn will be in view also.

Yes, and Regulus will be occulted during the initial penumbral phase of the eclipse for some observers in South America.

This will be a good one.  I hope skies are clear. 

I checked the 5 day forecast for the southeast, and right now it's showing clear skies for the 20th. Woohoo!

For anyone in the southeast, you can find Nasa's time schedule on my website.  

The eclipse will occur at the same real time for everyone on the dark side of the Earth during the night of FEB 20/21.  Simply adjust the UT timings in my initial post in this thread to your time zone.  For EST subtract 5 hours or add 19 hours.  For CST subtract 6 hours or add 18 hours.  For MST subtract 7 hours or add 17 hours.  For PST subtract 8 hours or add 16 hours. 

 I remember seeing the lunar eclipse a few months ago, it was truly breathtaking when it became a deep red. I look forward to this next one!

Aratus

Can you post or send information about your exposure, equipment specs and those filters that you used. Superb pic. Also people will send me their pics, I will post the best ones on my eclipse sightings blog.

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kcstarguy:

Can you post or send information about your exposure, equipment specs and those filters that you used.

The image on post 3 was a 20 x 8 second exposures stacked by Registax,  using a Meade DSI with a 135mm camera lens attached.   No filters were used except the usual IR/UV filter.   The DSI was piggybacked on a Celestron Nexstar8i guiding on the moon.   The exposures started at 23:24UT on 3rd March 2007.

I finally have a scope, an imager, and the opportunity to witness this amazing event...and all of South Texas is going to be raining/cloudy!!! Gonna be a long three year wait...

If you image the eclipse, be sure to send me your images or post them in our forums.

I am keeping my fingers crossed but the odds of seeing this eclipse are becomeing longer with every passing hour due to the arrival of several pacific storm systems.

L

leo731:

I am keeping my fingers crossed but the odds of seeing this eclipse are becomeing longer with every passing hour due to the arrival of several pacific storm systems.

L

I'm keeping my fingers crossed too. The forecast was for clear skies Wednesday night, but now they're saying patchy clouds. Hopefully, those patches of clouds won't be covering the moon.  

Yea , yea , yea !............Boy It's not lookin' good . I'm glad I caught the last one .