If skies are clear on April 3 we shall be treated to an unusual total lunar eclipse. It is unusual because totality begins at 6:26 p.m., 16 minutes before Morgantown's moonrise at 6:42 p.m. The rising Moon will be totally eclipsed. Sunset is not until 6:46 p.m. so the sky will still be light when the eclipsed Moon rises. It will not be possible to see Moon until after the sky darkens.

    Events get under way far to the east of Morgantown at 4:15 when Moon begins moving into the penumbra of Earth's shadow, the outer part of the shadow in which Sun's light is not completely blocked by Earth. At 5:21 Moon begins moving into the umbra of Earth's shadow, the dark inner portion in which all of Sun's light is blocked, as the partial phases of the eclipse begin. Then totality begins at 6:26 and moonrise is at 6:42. Totality ends at 7:53 p.m., well after sunset. Before then we should be able to see the coppery glow of the eclipsed moon, illuminated by sunlight refracted through Earth's atmosphere. The partial phase ends at 8:59 p.m. and Moon moves out of the penumbra of Earth's shadow at 10:04.

    Since the sky will become quite dark during totality, you might try looking for Comet Hyakutake before totality ends. The comet should be about 36 degrees above the northwest horizon, well to the right of and a little higher than bright Venus.

     Comet Hyakutake is an "unscheduled" astronomical event for 1996. The comet was discovered by Yuji Hyakutake on January 30 using 6-inch binoculars. This photoengraver from Hayato, Japan, discovered another comet in December.

    Orbital elements deduced from astrometric observations predict that the comet's least distance from Sun, its perihelion distance, will be a little more than 0.2 astronomical unit (Earth-Sun distance) on May first. The comet has come into the inner solar system from below the plane of Earth's orbit and will leavebelow Earth's orbital plane, so we shall not have an opportunity to view it from our latitude after it is "heated" during its closest proximity to Sun.

    On March 25 it passed only about 15 million km (9.3 million mi) from Earth, about 1/10 of an astronomical unit. It has dimmed slightly since being closest to Earth and is expected to fade to about 2.0 magnitudes by April 12. After that it is expected to brighten as it gets closer to Sun. It is visible to the naked eye from clear dark locations, and had a tail reported to be visible to the naked eye (under ideal viewing conditions) on March 17.

    The comet is currently located in the constellation of Camelopardalus, the Giraffe, an inconspicuous constellation between Cassiopeia and Perseus. For the next 10 days it will be passing through Perseus, moving approximately along the right hand portion of the Parasol shape of this constellation. The second-magnitude star Algol, labeled on this month's star chart, will be close to the comet's head, or coma, from April 7 to April 11.

    Remember as you search for the comet that the magnitude predicted or reported is a magnitude for the entire comet -- the head, or coma, and the tail. Most of the stars in the Big Dipper are about second magnitude, but all of their light energy comes to us from a point. The light of the comet is spread over a substantial area and this makes it appear fainter.

    Binoculars are the best viewing instrument since they provide a large field of view. For readers without a telescope or who would like to view the comet through Tomchin Observatory's 14-inch telescope, the Observatory, located atop Hodges Hall on WVU's Downtown Campus, will be open for public viewing from 8-9 p.m. on April 1, 3 and 4 and from 9-10 p.m. on April 8, 10, and 12 if the sky is clear. Take the elevator to the fourth floor, turn right, and walk down the hall and out on the roof to the Observatory.

    Here are some additional links for information about Comet Hyakutake:

    For information about photographing the comet try