Skywatchers are preparing for a rare celestial event that will decorate the night sky throughout the United States, Canada and Mexico. A total of lunar eclipses cast shadows on the moon, turning it into a weird red night. This is how you can watch it unfold.
The lunar eclipse will total on Thursday night, March 13, and until Friday, March 14, depending on the time zone. The solar eclipse is scheduled to begin Thursday at 11:57 ET and lasts for about 6 hours as the moon slowly exits from the shadows below the earth. Unlike solar eclipse, you don’t need any special equipment to view the moon during an eclipse. All you have to do is look up.
What is a total lunar eclipse for lunar eclipse?
When the Earth is between the Sun and the Moon, a lunar eclipse occurs, casting its shadow on the surface of our natural satellites. Lumbar eclipses occur about twice a year, but the total lunar eclipses are rare.
During a total lunar eclipse, when the earth wedges between the sun and the moon, the entire moon falls in the darkest shadow of the earth, known as the umbra. When the moon is draped under the awning, it turns into a red color, so it is the term blood moon.
It works as follows: Earth blocks most of the light in which it does reach the moon’s surface passes through the Earth’s atmosphere. As it does, shorter wavelengths of light (like blue, more easily scattered), while longer wavelengths (like red) eventually reach the moon’s surface. According to NASA, the more dust or clouds there are in the Earth’s atmosphere, the moon will appear.
Lunar eclipse every two to three years can be seen on each side of the earth. The last lunar eclipse seen in the United States was in November 2022.
How to view total lunar eclipse
The upcoming lunar eclipse will be visible from the western hemisphere of the earth. The moon will be there – weather allows – so no special equipment is needed to view the solar eclipse. For better viewing conditions, you can go to dim areas that really attract it.
According to NASA, the moon will start to darken when it enters the outside of the Earth’s shadow from 11:57 p.m. on Thursday. In more than an hour, as the moon enters the umbra deeper, some solar eclipses will begin to form.
Overall, it will start at 2:26 AM EST and last until 3:31 AM EST. At that time, the moon was completely covered by the shadow of the earth and would appear copper-red. After the whole, the moon will slowly begin to move out of the shadows and return to its regular self around 6 a.m. ET.
As a bonus, surrounding signs may be more likely to notice that the moon’s light is darkened by solar eclipses.
