What to Know About the Lunar Eclipse
- Hope you didn't miss Tuesday's total lunar eclipse "blood moon." The next one won’t be until 2025.
- The total lunar eclipse was visible throughout North America in the predawn hours.
- It looked like a bite was being taken out of the moon. Totality lasted about 1 1/2 hours as Earth passes directly between the moon and sun.
Sky-gazers rejoiced for ideal conditions for the moon's disappearing act.
In the Philadelphia area, we got to see all of the total eclipse. As I expected we had near perfect viewing conditions for the total lunar eclipse first thing on Tuesday morning.
Many of these eclipses happen early in the morning when people are sleeping, however, this one was timed perfectly for those people who got up before sunrise and tuned into NBC 10 News in the morning.
Get top local stories in Philly delivered to you every morning. >Sign up for NBC Philadelphia's News Headlines newsletter.
What Is a Lunar Eclipse?
We get a lunar eclipse when the Earth's shadow is cast over a full moon and it is completely safe and easy to view with the naked eye.
When Will the Lunar Eclipse Begin, End?
Weather Stories
You started to notice a change just in the moon’s appearance just after 4 o'clock Tuesday morning. The moon, which normally looks white, started to turn reddish-orange.
At 5:17 Tuesday morning, the earth’s shadow completely covered the moon giving us a total eclipse. It was during this time that the entire moon, known as a blood moon, got this reddish glow that comes from the sun’s light being filtered through the Earth's atmosphere. It was an amazing sight!
The totality ended at 6:42, which was just two minutes before the moon set in Philadelphia, so we got to see it all.
Will Skies Be Clear Enough to See the Show in the Sky?
Of course the key to seeing any eclipse is having the weather cooperate. Fortunately, our skies were clear. However, the temperatures had dipped. We were back to the normal, chilly November weather.
Overnight we cooled into the 40s. So you needed a jacket if you went out for a look, but if you have a window that faces west, you also had a clear view from the comfort of your home.
Happy viewing! it's going to be another three years to get a chance to see a lunar eclipse.
