BALTIMORE — We are in for a celestial treat Thursday into Friday. There will be a blood moon! Above is a picture of a partial lunar eclipse I too back in 2021. The one this week will be even better! The moon will be painted bright red at the peak of the eclipse! That is how it gets the name blood moon.
When to see it:
You can read the image from right to left (that is how the moon will look when you see it Thursday into Friday). The eclipse starts at 12:55 Friday morning. It will take a few hours, but by 2:26 am the total eclipse begins and the moon will be completely red. This will last for just about an hour. If you want to set an alarm, that would be the best time.
Why it happens:
Th earth will pass in between the sun and the moon. That means the moon will appear red. This is different than the solar eclipse we had last year where the moon passed in between the sun and the earth. It appears red because sunlight bends around the earth and is filtered through the atmosphere of the earth. That is the same principal the makes the sunset and sunrise red.
The forecast:
For now, viewing conditions look ok. There will be a few clouds around, but we should get enough holes in the clouds to get a good look. We will stay on top of the forecast as we get closer.
