Set to turn a coppery shade of red in the sky this Tuesday, November 8, the full moon will kick off Election Day with an early morning event of its own — a total lunar eclipse.

The second one of the year, the eclipse will begin at 3:02 a.m. ET, with the moon initially dimming for the first hour, and end at 8:50 a.m. ET.

At totality, the stage at which the entire moon will be in Earth’s shadow, the moon will turn a dark reddish hue, which is why a total eclipse is also called a blood moon.

Sky gazers will be able to see the striking effect beginning at 5:17 a.m. ET, [url=https://moon.nasa.gov/news/185/what-you-need-to-know-about-the-lunar-eclipse/#:~:text=During%20a%20lunar%20eclipse%2C%20the,redder%20the%20Moon%20will%20appear.]according to NASA[/url].“They aren’t that common, so it’s always nice to get a hold of them when you can,” said Dr. Alphonse Sterling, an astrophysicist at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama.

“I think they’re excellent learning devices for people who want to get into astronomy.”A total lunar eclipse occurs approximately once every 1 ½ years on average, with the next total lunar eclipse not taking place until March 14, 2025 — although partial and penumbral lunar eclipses will continue to occur in the meantime.

A penumbral lunar eclipse happens when the moon moves through the outer shadow, or penumbra, of the Earth, so the visual effect is more subtle.Those viewing the total lunar eclipse will be able to see the curvature of Earth’s shadow as it begins to slowly swallow the moon completely.

At least a portion of the phenomenon will be visible throughout eastern Asia, Australia, the Pacific, North America and Central America, [url=https://moon.nasa.gov/news/185/what-you-need-to-know-about-the-lunar-eclipse/#:~:text=During%20a%20lunar%20eclipse%2C%20the,redder%20the%20Moon%20will%20appear.]according to NASA[/url].

Every first full moon of November is called the beaver moon in honor of the semiaquatic rodents. This is the time of year when beavers begin to take shelter after storing their food for the winter, according to The Old Farmer’s Almanac. The moon will be at its brightest at 6:02 a.m. ET, the almanac notes.

[img]https://media.cnn.com/api/v1/images/stellar/prod/221107140649-total-lunar-eclipse-canta-110722.jpg?c=16x9&q=h_270,w_480,c_fill[/img]

Last edited by Spunky (11/07/2022 9:15 pm)