Once in a blue moon, a lunar eclipse will appear across the sky.
Well, more like a once in a red moon.
A total lunar eclipse is set to occur on Tuesday, Nov. 8 — and it will be the last one to happen until 2025.
The eclipse will then cause what’s known in interstellar circles as a “blood moon” to transpire.
However, in order to see a clear view of this natural phenomenon in the sky, one must grab a spot outside during the very early hours of the morning.
The last time a total lunar eclipse was seen was on May 15 to May 16, 2022.
Keep reading for all you need to know about this week’s major space event.
What is a ‘blood moon?’
The eclipse makes the moon appear red, brown and orange, hence the name “blood moon.”
Very little sunlight is left as it soars through the Earth’s atmosphere in order to get to the moon during a lunar eclipse. Therefore, the more cloudy the substratosphere is, the redder the moon appears to be.
“It’s as if all the world’s sunrises and sunsets are projected onto the Moon,” NASA wrote in a recent entry on the Earth’s Moon blog.
What is a total lunar eclipse?
The sky phenomenon arises when the sun, Earth and moon align.
The moon will then fall into the Earth’s shadow.
What time is the ‘blood moon’ eclipse in 2022, and where can I see it?
The first phase of the eclipse starts at 3:02 a.m. ET, NASA reported. The partial eclipse then begins at 4:09 a.m. ET.
This phase should look a bit like someone took a bite out of the moon. The lunar disk will commence totality at 5:17 a.m. ET and will go on for roughly an hour and a half.
The eclipse can best be seen in totality by citizens in North America, Central America, Colombia, and western Venezuela and Peru. People in Alaska and Hawaii will be able to see every stage of the eclipse.
When is the next lunar eclipse?
The next one will occur on March 14, 2025. However, partial lunar eclipses will come about before then. Another total lunar eclipse will happen on Sept. 7, 2025.
