A total lunar eclipse will be visible in the Boston area on Friday. What time is the lunar eclipse and how can you watch it? Here’s everything you need to know.
Mark your calendar, set your phone alarm. A total lunar eclipse will be visible across New England Friday morning!
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The full “Worm” moon coincides with this space event. A lunar eclipse occurs when the sun, earth and moon align in the right way for the earth to cast a shadow on the moon. The partial eclipse begins at 1:09 a.m. EST when the earth’s partial shadow (penumbra) is cast on the moon.
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The total eclipse - when the earth’s shadow is cast on the moon (umbra) - begins at 2:26 a.m., ends at 3:31 a.m. with the maximum at 2:58 a.m. It’s this time when the moon looks dark and reddish. The partial eclipse ends at 4:47 a.m. with the entire event wrapping. With this event, you do not need any protective eyewear.
Why does the moon appear blood orange during this total eclipse? Light scatters differently. Light that appears blue has a short wavelength and light that appears red has a longer wavelength. The blue light scatters easily off the earth’s atmosphere and typically the moon appears grey or blueish. With the earth casting a shadow, the moon appears reddish since only red light remains visible in the earth’s shadow.
On March 29 we have a partial solar eclipse, beginning at 6:13 a.m. and ending at 7:17 a.m. that day. With this one you do need protective eyewear to view the sun taking a bite of the moon.
