A total lunar eclipse, known as a “blood moon,” will be visible in the skies, weather permitting, very early on Wednesday morning.
According to the Griffith Park Observatory in Los Angeles, a total lunar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes completely into the shadow cast by the Earth. The round disk of the full Moon slowly moves into the dark shadow, and the bright Moon grows dim.
The Moon does not, however, become completely dark. Instead, it usually glows with a faint copper or red color, a result of sunlight being filtered and bent through the Earth’s atmosphere (much like a sunset).
The umbral eclipse — where it appears a bite was taken out of the Moon — is expected to start around 2:45 a.m. The Moon should be totally covered in shadow by 4:11 a.m., reaching its maximum eclipse by 4:19 a.m.
The Moon should emerge from its shadow by 4:26 a.m. Sunrise is predicted at 5:45 a.m. And the umbral eclipse should end at 5:52 a.m.
The lunar eclipse should be visible throughout Southern California and can be seen easily with the unaided eye, though telescopes or binoculars may enhance the view. If skies are clear, the eclipse will be visible to the unaided eye from anywhere in Southern California. It is safe to view a lunar eclipse without any eye protection. You do not need a telescope to see a lunar eclipse. Just go outside and look up to the southwest.
You can also watch the eclipse via streaming. Griffith Observatory is hosting an online broadcast of the total lunar eclipse that morning from 1:45 a.m. to 6:00 a.m. The Observatory is not, however, having an onsite public viewing event. Griffith Park will not be open during the broadcast.
The Observatory will stream the eclipse live online, weather permitting. Watch here.
The next total lunar eclipse visible in Los Angeles will occur on May 15-16, 2022.
To learn more about eclipses, visit Observatory’s eclipse info page.