Night owls will be in for a treat tonight, as the moon will turn blood red as it passes through Earth’s shadow during a total lunar eclipse.
Delta College Planetarium manager Mike Murray joined WWJ News Radio to discuss the “blood moon” and the best way to view it. He says that unlike other events in the night sky, like comets or asteroids, the only thing you need to see the lunar eclipse is your eyes and clear skies.
“The nice thing about a lunar eclipse is all you need is a good, clear view of the full moon,” Murray said. “You don’t need a special observing site. It doesn’t even have to be exceptionally dark because the moon is already so bright. The biggest factor, of course, is clouds.”
If the weather is clear, Murray says the only thing many will have to fight to see the lunar eclipse is their pillow, as the moon will pass into Earth’s shadow at around midnight.
“Well, the challenge for this particular eclipse is it’s in the middle of the night, post-midnight hours,” he said.
For those looking to plan out their viewing of the blood moon, the Old Farmer’s Almanac details specific moonrise times for ZIP codes across the United States. Local weather forecasts will also play a factor in the viewing.
“I know that’s not an ideal time that you want to go outside, but if you want to set your alarm, look and see if it’s clear, take a peek outside, and if you can see the moon or you see the blood moon. Then it’s a great experience. It’s really eerie, Murray remarked.
Every lunar eclipse is visible from half of Earth, occurring when the sun, Earth, and moon all align, with the moon sitting in the Earth’s shadow.
NASA notes that because the moon will appear red-orange while inside Earth’s shadow, they have gained the moniker of blood moon. The reddish color is a result of sunlight filtering through a “thick slice of Earth’s atmosphere” before it hits the moon’s surface, NASA says. The moon will appear more or less red depending on the dust or clouds in Earth’s atmosphere.
“It’s as if all the world’s sunrises and sunsets are projected onto the Moon,” NASA explains in a blog post.