Saturday, December 10, 2011 is the rarest of all Lunar Eclipses. Due to a rare alignment, the atmosphere of the Earth will bend the light of the sun so that it appears the sun is still in the sky while it is behind the Earth. This odd refraction creates what is called a selenelion. This means that for a minute or two you may be able to see the sun setting on one horizon and the lunar eclipse on the other horizon.
Of course, capturing both horizons at once is out of reach for Earth based photographers without some really expensive gear and a great vantage point BUT that doesn't mean you shouldn't take a moment to experience this rare event while out to photograph the eclipse itself.
According to Space.com, the best chance to see the eclipse will be in "Alaska, Hawaii, northwestern Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and central and eastern Asia. Over the contiguous United States and Canada, the eastern zones will see either only the initial penumbral stages before moonset, or nothing at all."
You can see a chart of eclipse times at Space.com.
Get photo tips for shooting the moon during this lunar eclipse with our series of moon photography lessons.
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