(PCM) There is going to be quite the interesting sight in the skies this coming Wednesday when we will see a total lunar eclipse otherwise known as a “Blood Moon” occur that can be easily viewed with the naked eye.
The eclipse will be visible throughout North America and the best viewing times for the eastern time zone will be just before sunrise and on the west coast it will be the middle of the night. Astronomers say that the west coast will have the best view of the “Blood Moon”.
The astronomers go on to say that there could also be another rare occurrence happening in the skies that will be visible to those on the eastern side of the Mississippi River. They may have the opportunity to view one of the rarest forms of lunar eclipses called a horizontal eclipse.
Most lunar eclipses tend to occur well before sunrise in the east, however with this particular eclipse the timing is a bit different. This eclipse will occur at around 6:25am ET and will last through part of the sunrise. For approximately two to nine minutes, people on the east coast will be able to seen the sun rise and moon set at the same time.
This is also the second of four consecutive total lunar eclipses to occur, which generally only happen a few times per century. The third and fourth eclipses will take place April 4, 2015, and Sept. 28, 2015.
The reason for the name “Blood Moon” is because of the moon’s coppery red color which occurs because of the reflections of the many sunrises and sunsets occurring on Earth reflecting back on the moon.
The total eclipse will start at 6:25 a.m. ET (5:25 a.m. CT, 4:25 a.m. MT and 3:25 a.m. PT) and continue until 7:24 a.m. ET (4:24 a.m. PT).
