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On March 3, skywatchers in North America, Australia, New Zealand, and eastern Asia will be treated to a special total lunar eclipse when the full Moon will don a spooky reddish hue.
Next week, the Moon will enter behind Earth’s shadow and become illuminated by the Sun’s light as it passes through the planet’s atmosphere. The filtered sunlight will cast a warm glow on the Moon’s disk, giving it a temporary deep orange to red color.
The full blood Moon will be visible in North America and is the last one we’ll see for nearly three years until December 2028. While totality will be visible in the evening for viewers in eastern Asia and Australia and throughout the night in the Pacific, it will occur in the early morning hours in North and Central America and far western South America, according to NASA.
The Moon will begin to enter Earth’s shadow at 3:44 a.m. ET, and the partial eclipse will occur at 4:50 a.m. ET. During the partial eclipse, it will appear as though a piece of the Moon has been bitten off as one side of the lunar disk appears very dark.
Totality, when the entire Moon is in the Earth’s umbra, begins at 6:04 a.m. ET and lasts for around an hour. That’s when the Moon turns a bloody, copper red.
For skywatchers in eastern North America, the blood Moon may not appear as dramatic as it will along the west coast or in other parts of the world. That’s because totality will occur around the same time as sunrise, and the skies won’t be dark enough to view the blood Moon in all its glory. The blood Moon will sink in the west right before dawn. This presents yet another challenge for skywatchers in the Eastern Time Zone, as the Moon will set before the eclipse reaches its maximum.
A partial lunar eclipse will also appear in Central Asia and parts of South America.
Despite these challenges, you can still try to catch a glimpse of the blood Moon. A total lunar eclipse doesn’t require any special equipment—you can see it with the naked eye. For the best view, head somewhere dark and give your eyes time to adjust to the night sky.
At the time of the eclipse, the Moon will be in the constellation Leo. As the Moon’s light is dimmed by Earth’s shadow, it’s also an opportune time to view other celestial objects in the sky, as constellations appear brighter when they’re not competing with the natural satellite.
The next total lunar eclipse will take place on New Year’s Eve in 2028. It will be the first in a series of three lunar eclipses in a row, with the following one on June 26, 2029, and the next on December 20, 2029.
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Source: Gizmodo