Are you looking for a reason to stay up a little later than usual tonight? How about a chance to catch a glimpse of a special treat in the sky as a total lunar eclipse (aka “Blood Moon”) will be visible in North and South America, western parts of Africa and Europe, New Zealand and a portion of Russia?
According to NASA, a lunar eclipse happens when “the Sun, Earth, and Moon align so that the Moon passes into Earth’s shadow.” The type of lunar eclipse varies depending on the degree to which the Moon crosses the Earth’s shadow. During a total lunar eclipse, the entire Moon falls within the umbra, the darkest part of Earth’s shadow, making it appear red-orange. That’s where the nickname “Blood Moon” comes from.
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If the idea of a “Blood Moon” scares you, we completely understand. A lunar eclipse was often explained as an attack on the moon in ancient mythology, according to the Farmer’s Almanac, causing strange behavior and weather issues like earthquakes and tsunamis.
Some point to a connection between the “Blood Moon” and a prophecy regarding the end of times mentioned in the Bible, including a passage in the Book of Joel which reads, “the sun will turn into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and terrible day of the Lord comes.”
Science, however, doesn’t show any connection between the lunar eclipse and those theories.
According to The New York Times, the Moon will begin its journey to the Earth’s shadow at 11:56 p.m. ET on Thursday, entering the umbra at 1:09 a.m. ET on Friday. By 2:25 a.m., the Moon will be in the darkest part of the Earth’s shadow, where it will stay for about an hour. By 4:48 a.m. ET, the Moon will make its way out of the umbra and will appear white again. The whole thing should be done just after 6:01 a.m. ET.
No telescope? No problem. The folks at NASA say you won’t need any special equipment to see the Blood Moon for yourself. They suggest a “dark environment away from bright lights” for the best view. And you don’t have to worry about buying special glasses or making contraptions out of old cereal boxes like we did with the solar eclipse, this one is safe to view with the naked eye.
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