SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS RADIO) – This Sunday at sunset the Bay Area will be treated to a lunar eclipse, but not just any eclipse, this phenomenon is known as a super flower blood moon.
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Bing Quock, Assistant Director of the Morrison Planetarium at the California Academy of Sciences in Golden Gate Park, told KCBS Radio the origins of the name, explaining that some titles are more for dramatic flare.
"This 'flower moon' is a name given to it by some Native American tribes because it's one of the full moons of spring and that's when you see a lot of flowers," Quock said, adding that others call it the blood moon or super moon, two terms which have become popular in recent years.
From a scientific perspective, "what's really going on is the full moon is going to flip through earth's shadow," Quock said. "Because the earth's shadow is red, the moon is going to turn a reddish color."
The natural event is spectacular to watch, but West Coast residents may be disappointed to hear they are not in a favorable spot to observe the eclipse.
"It's already going to be in progress at moon rise, which happens a little bit after 8 o'clock," Quock said. "As it comes up over the horizon, it's already going to be about two thirds covered by the earth’s shadow."
Despite being a full moon, it will look like a crescent as it ascends from the horizon. The eclipse is expected to last until around 10 p.m. and will be completely over by 10:55 p.m.
The best place for West Coast moon fanatics to observe the eclipse is to head as far east as possible, but if that's not a realistic trek, going somewhere where the horizon is in view is a safe bet. The ideal time to see the blood moon will be an hour after sunset at around 9 p.m.
For those who want to watch the eclipse from start to finish, NASA will have a live stream webcasted.
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