ORLANDO, Fla. – You’ll have to stay up late -- or get up early -- but Central Floridians will soon have the chance to see a total lunar eclipse.
Also known as the blood moon, the sphere that reflects light from the sun, will appear reddish-orange as the eclipse nears totality.
This happens as light from Earth’s sunrises and sunsets are projected onto the moon during the eclipse.
All of this happens during the early morning hours of March 14.
The partial portion of the eclipse, where the earth’s shadow begins to darken to the moon, gets underway at 1:09 a.m. The moon will gradually turn red as the eclipse continues.
The total eclipse, when the moon appears to be completely red, begins at 2:26 a.m.
Totality, where the moon is completely engulfed in Earth’s shadow, ends at 3:31 a.m.
The moon will gradually lose its reddish hue, but still appear to be dark until the partial portion of the eclipse ends at 4:47 a.m.
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You do not need special glasses to view a lunar eclipse. This eclipse is safe to look at with your naked eye. Binoculars or a telescope may enhance your viewing experience.
A lunar eclipse happens when the Earth passes in between the sun and moon.
There are three different types of lunar eclipses. The total lunar eclipse, the eclipse coming March 14, is the most spectacular. There are also partial and penumbral lunar eclipses.
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