Everyone on planet Earth will have a view of tonight’s full lunar eclipse, and it’s going to be spectacular.
The moon will be a spectacular full moon called the Blood Moon. Tonight, NASA’s Dr. Noah Petro says, will be stunning. “When the moon will turn this beautiful coppery-reddish-orange color and then gradually move out of the Earth’s shadow. All night long late Sunday night into early Monday morning we’ll be treated with this beautiful lunar eclipse.”
No telescope or binoculars needed. The forecast for the Houston area is calling for a possible smattering of clouds tonight, but mostly clear, and mostly phenomenally gorgeous views to the naked eye.
Tonight in Houston from around 10:30 to midnight, if you have an unobstructed view of the night sky and can see the moon, you will see a full lunar eclipse. “Just the same reason when you go out at sunset or sunrise the horizon turns that beautiful red-orange color -- now imagine all of the sunrises and sunsets from the Earth get projected onto the surface of the moon when it passes in to the shadow of the earth,” adds Dr. Petro.
The duration of the eclipse will be around 84 minutes.
The last lunar eclipse was May 26 of last year, so it’s not rare. It’s just an opportunity to behold the grace and majesty of the universe we exist in for about an hour and a half, and be awed by natural beauty that, if not rare, is uncommon.
photo: Getty Images