Tonight, on March 13 into March 14, a striking “blood moon” will rise over the city. The moon will actually appear red to the naked eye, for the first time in several years. Luckily for us, the solar eclipse will be visible in the Western Hemisphere late tonight and early tomorrow morning. While the chances of spotting the Moon tonight in San Francisco seem low with forecast rain for tonight, there’s still a chance you might be able to spot this fascinating astrological event.
What is a blood moon?
A blood moon is when the Moon appears red, due to the shadow from a Lunar Eclipse. Due to the red shade of the Moon, it’s often called a “blood moon.”
What is a lunar eclipse?
When the Sun, Moon, and Earth all align, the Moon passes into the Earth’s shadow, creating a lunar eclipse. A total lunar eclipse occurs when the entire Moon is in the darkest part of the Earth’s shadow, making the Moon look red.
How rare is a blood moon?
Total lunar eclipses aren’t particularly rare, and they occur approximately once every few years. So, if you don’t get a chance to see the Moon tonight, don’t worry, it will happen again in the next few years.
Why does the Moon turn red?
Light is made of a rainbow of colors (even though it doesn’t appear to). Different color lights interact with the Earth’s atmosphere in various ways, and red light travels relatively directly through the atmosphere while blue light is easily scattered. When the lunar eclipse occurs, only red light is reaching our eyes.
When will the eclipse happen?
The partial lunar eclipse will start at 10:09 pm PDT, and totality begins at 11:26 pm and ends at 12:31 am on the 14th. When the partial lunar eclipse starts, part of the Moon will be in shadow, and once the Moon is fully in the Earth’s shadow, it will appear red.
You can learn more about lunar eclipses on NASA’s website.