A total lunar eclipse will occur on the morning of Wed. January 31. With this being the second full moon of the same month, it is called the “Blue Moon”.
A lunar eclipse is a very safe event to look at as the moon simply slides into the earth’s shadow. Light refracted through our atmosphere turns the lunar surface red, much like red sunsets.
Although this eclipse will be seen across North America, western regions will see the entire event.
In our time zone:
Partial eclipse begins at: 5:48 a.m. CST
Total eclipse begins at: 6:52 a.m. CST
Greatest eclipse at: Moon has set
Known as “The Backyard Astronomer” Gary Boyle is an astronomy educator and monthly columnist for the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada.
