WEBVTT FILE

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On March 3rd,

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we’re going to be treated

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to a spectacular show

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in the sky

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in the form of a

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total lunar eclipse.

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So your first question might be:

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well, what is a

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total lunar eclipse?

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Well, basically

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what happens

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when the Moon passes

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into the shadow of the Earth.

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The shadow of the Earth

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and the Moon will pass

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directly into it.

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Now you might think, well,

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why doesn’t this happen

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every month?

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Well, some months

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the Moon passes

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a little too high

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or a little too low.

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When we get an eclipse,

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the Moon is just right,

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and passes directly into

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and through the shadow

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of the Earth.

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And so in this unique alignment

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where the Earth, the Moon,

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and the Sun

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are exactly coaligned,

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we have a treat to

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see the Moon

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turn this beautiful red color.

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Really, what we’re seeing

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is a projection

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of every sunrise and sunset

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onto the surface of the Moon.

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And when you see the Moon

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turn that red color,

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try to picture yourself

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standing on the lunar surface,

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or flying above the

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surface of the Moon

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looking back.

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And what you would see

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is this wonderful view

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of an entirely dark Earth

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with just this beautiful

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red ring around it,

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every sunrise and every sunset

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coming out into space

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to greet your eye.

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So we’re very fortunate

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that over the past decade plus,

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we’ve had an instrument

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orbiting the Moon,

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measuring the surface

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of the Moon.

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And during past eclipses, we’ve

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actually been able to measure

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how quickly the lunar surface

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cools during an eclipse.

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Now, the Lunar Reconnaissance

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Orbiter spacecraft

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will be orbiting the Moon

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during this eclipse.

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We’re going to be powering

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down the spacecraft

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to preserve its battery.

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But just know

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when you look at a lunar eclipse,

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not only are you seeing the color change,

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but the surface is

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actually cooling down

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quite a bit as well.

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Imagine you’re going from the

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hot heat of a stove

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to the deep cold of a freezer,

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and that change is occurring

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on the surface as well.

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And so this is a

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wonderful opportunity

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to remind ourselves of

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not only what

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we get to see

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during the eclipse,

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but what astronauts

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will get to see

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as they fly by the Moon

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on Artemis II.

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Fortunately for Artemis II

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astronauts, they’re

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going to have an opportunity

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to see the far side of the Moon,

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depending on when they launch,

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they’ll actually have a view

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of the lunar surface

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that humans haven’t had

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since 1972.

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<i>It’s some of the</i>

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<i>striking country on the far</i>

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<i>side of the Moon that</i>

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<i>human beings don’t very often</i>

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<i>have a chance to see,</i>

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<i>but a trend that started</i>

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<i>in the last few years,</i>

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<i>and I suspect it will continue.</i>

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Well, keep in mind that when

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astronauts are flying over

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the far side of the Moon,

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the far side phase of the Moon

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is the exact opposite

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as the phase of the Moon

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that we see.

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So when we see a full Moon,

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the far side of the Moon is

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unilluminated.

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As you go out on March 3rd,

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and you look at our

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beautiful Moon,

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keep in the back of your mind,

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that four astronauts will soon

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have a perspective on the Moon

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that we have not

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had for several generations,

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and they’ll be looking

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back at us,

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looking up at the Moon.