Early risers set to watch pre-Halloween ‘blood moon’
The last lunar eclipse, in April, 2014, as seen from California. The next eclipse will take place in the early morning hours of Oct. 8.
It’s not the end of the world; it’s just a syzygy.
“Syzygy” might not be in the average person’s vocabulary, but the astronomical configuration it describes – three celestial bodies in a straight line – produces a phenomenon that most people can see.
If they’re early risers, that is.
A lunar eclipse will take place in the early hours of Oct. 8 and will be visible from much of North America.
The edge of Earth’s shadow will begin to pass over the moon at 4:15 a.m. ET. It will cover the entire moon starting at 6:15 a.m. and last about an hour.
“A lunar eclipse may not be as dramatic as a solar eclipse, but it’s still an interesting phenomenon to view,” says Robert Cockcroft, a post-doctoral research fellow and manager of McMaster’s McCallion Planetarium. “It only happens about once a year.”
Cockcroft says the predictability of lunar eclipses is helpful in pinning down the dates of historical events.
“For instance, we’re able to narrow down when King Herod may have died because accounts from the time say he died after a lunar eclipse,” says Cockcroft, referring to the eclipse that took place March 13, 4 BCE.
The astronomer also notes that an eclipse typically casts the moon in a rusty shade of red – the result of the sun’s light refracting through Earth’s atmosphere.
This one could be slightly different, however, because of recent volcanic eruptions, which released large amounts of light-blocking ash into the atmosphere.
McMaster’s Sidewalk Astronomy group will be holding a viewing party outside of Mary Keyes Residence from 4:30 a.m. to 6:30 a.m.
No special equipment is needed to view a lunar eclipse.
The Planetarium will also host a show about eclipses at 7 p.m. and 8:15 p.m. on Oct. 8.
