Illinois Gets A Look At A Total Lunar Eclipse On Tuesday
As if the excitement of it being Election Day weren't enough (and, it's really not), Illinoisans who get themselves out of bed a bit earlier than usual get a sky-show tomorrow morning that we won't see again for another three years:
A total blood moon lunar eclipse.
And, looking ahead to the weather conditions that will be present here in Northern Illinois during the eclipse, we should get a really good viewing.
Tuesday's Eclipse Actually Has An Official Name: "Beaver Blood Moon Lunar Eclipse" Since It Occurs During November's Full Beaver Moon
I know what you're thinking, and I totally agree that Beaver Blood Moon Lunar Eclipse does sound like a great album title. Seems like something the Grateful Dead would have released, back in the day.
Anyhoo...
Tuesday's eclipse will also be a lengthy affair, with the whole thing, from start to finish, taking about 5 hours to come to completion.
Here's What You Need To Know If You Want To Catch The Beaver Blood Moon Lunar Eclipse (or, BBMLE, since I'm getting tired of typing the whole name)
I guess it all depends on what you want to see. If you've got the time and inclination to watch the entire eclipse, you should plan on being outside and ready to go (all times CST):
- At 2:02am for when the Penumbral eclipse begins.
- Then, at 3:09am, the partial eclipse begins.
- At 4:17am, Totality, or the entire moon entering the umbra, starts.
- At 5:42am, Totality comes to an end.
- At 6:49am, it's all over, as the moon sets.
As to the reason the moon takes on a reddish glow during the eclipse, NASA explains that:
During a lunar eclipse, the Moon turns red because the only sunlight reaching the Moon passes through Earth’s atmosphere. The more dust or clouds in Earth’s atmosphere during the eclipse, the redder the Moon will appear. It’s as if all the world’s sunrises and sunsets are projected onto the Moon.