Tips for viewing Tuesday’s “Blood Moon” lunar eclipse from a local astronomer

Tuesday will feature a total lunar eclipse and “blood moon,” and California’s typical clear skies should make viewing easier than other places in the country.

Ralph Megna is a local lifelong astronomer and he gave a presentation at the February Landers Homestead Valley Association meeting on the upcoming total Lunar eclipse on March 3rd, including the best ways to see it from the hi-desert:

Ralph Megna: “A total Lunar eclipse occurs when the moon passes through the shadow behind the Earth in a line with the Sun. The Moon moves through the shadow cone behind the Earth and visually this is what it looks like over a period of several hours.

“The Eclipse begins right after 12:00 midnight. Totality will begin around 3:00 in the morning, greatest eclipse will be around 3:30 a.m. and end totality will be around 4:00 a.m. The total eclipse ends at 6:22 a.m.

“We are in a part of the United States that will actually get to see the entire eclipse; we’ll be able to witness it before the Moon sets. Locations to the East of us, say the Mississippi River or on the East coast will not see the entire eclipse as a result of geometry and the orbit of the Moon. The Moon is going to pass through the center of the shadow which is known as the Umbra but it’s going to do so towards the edge of it with the consequence that the Moon will appear mostly red but is likely to have a bright white edge.

 “Now I’m going to give you the same advice I give every month and that is to get comfortable. First of all, wear proper clothing, it’s cold out there in the morning. Remember to wear something on your head. It’s going to take four or five minutes for your eyes to adapt and you’re going to want a chair and you’re going to want to face it to the West. Also if you have a pair of binoculars those would be a good thing to bring outside with you too. Binoculars are probably the best way to view a total Lunar eclipse and you don’t need a terribly expensive pair to enjoy the view. The view will be almost directly to the West and the Moon will be about a third of the way up in the sky.”