FARGO — Nearly one year after the solar eclipse, we will be treated to a lunar eclipse late tonight.
Last April, millions of people traveled to see the total eclipse of the sun where the moon passed between the Earth and our brilliant star.
And while these celestial crossings happen nearly every 18 months they aren’t always visible in accessible areas. And due to the small path of totality and rather quick crossing of the moon in front of the sun, it can be difficult to actually witness the wondrous event.
We have a much better chance of catching a lunar eclipse like the one that will occur late tonight into the early hours of Friday morning. The full eclipse begins at 1:26am, reaches its maximum at 1:59am and ends 2:31am on Friday morning.
With a lunar eclipse the moon passes through Earth’s shadow, casting the cratery surface in a red hue for nearly an hour, much longer than the few minutes of totality during a solar eclipse.
The Earth’s shadow during the eclipse is about three times wider than the Moon itself, allowing more people to see the lunar eclipse without even going past their front step. More than 16 percent of the world’s population is in the path of the lunar eclipse compared to half a percent for the solar eclipse.
Unlike the solar eclipse, the weather here on Earth isn’t affected since we are the ones sending the shadow over the moon. But we still do need the weather to cooperate to catch what is often called the “Blood Moon” for its rich red color.
Lunar eclipses are more common than solar eclipses, any given year can have two to five eclipses.
