 Total Lunar Eclipse Quick FactsA total lunar eclipse will be visible across the United States from Thursday night into Friday morning. The eclipse will take place from 11:57pm EDT until 6:00am EDT. Totality will begin around 2:26am EDT and last until about 3:31am EDT. According to NASA, we haven't had a total lunar eclipse in two years. Friday morning’s sunrise will be around 7:18am EDT, so you should be able to see the entire eclipse! Total lunar eclipses are safe to view with the naked eye or through a telescope, so no special glasses needed for this one! Blood Moon... What does it mean? During a lunar eclipse, the Moon takes on a reddish hue due to Earth’s atmosphere scattering sunlight. Instead of Earth reflecting light, what actually happens is that Earth's atmosphere filters out shorter blue wavelengths, allowing longer red wavelengths to reach the Moon. This effect makes the Moon appear to glow a reddish hue, often referred to as a "Blood Moon." What is a Lunar Eclipse? A lunar eclipse occurs when Earth moves directly between the Sun and the Moon, casting a shadow on the Moon. A total lunar eclipse happens when the Moon is completely within Earth's shadow, which can only occur during a full moon. March's Full Moon The Moon will be at its fullest on March 14 at 2:55am EDT, coinciding with the lunar eclipse. If you miss it at its peak, the Moon will still appear full from Wednesday night through Saturday morning. The March full moon is traditionally known as the Worm Moon. Thursday Night's Forecast So, will clouds in Central PA ruin the show? Right now, forecasts look like a partly to mostly cloudy sky on Thursday night. This means we should still catch glimpses of the total lunar eclipse! I'd love to see your photos if you take any! As we get closer to Thursday evening, we’ll have a better idea of whether cloud cover will increase and impact visibility. Temperatures Thursday night will be in the upper 30s to lower 40s, so it's not too cold to set an alarm and step outside for this Moon-tastic event! |
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