There will be a partial eclipse of the moon on New Years Eve, December 31st 2009. Because of its timing, it will not be visible in North and South America, but will be visible over most of Europe, Africa, and Asia IF the clouds stay away.
Partial Eclipse of the Blue Moon on the 31/12/09 19:22
The event will also mark the second full moon of the month in North America, thereby claiming the title of a “blue moon.”
Since it is a partial eclipse, the moon will just touch the darkest part of the Earth’s shadow, never becoming totally obscured. It will, however, be deep enough into the shadow that shading should be visible.
As the sun sets in the southwest, the full moon rises in the northeast.
For the eclipse, the duration of the partial phase will last about an hour, while the penumbral duration from beginning to end will run about four hours and eleven minutes. Penumbral contact will begin at 17:17:08 UT and umbral contact at 18:52:43 UT. The moment of greatest depth of shadow will occur at 19:22:39 UT, 31 December 2009.
all times are UTC (GMT)
The UK weather forecast for Thursday evening is patchy cloud but fingers crossed the event will still be visible