Mark Brown, physics instructor and director of Emporia State’s Peterson Planetarium, shares information about the total lunar eclipse this week that is viewable in Emporia.
A total lunar eclipse will occur overnight March 13 to 14. Emporia and the continental United States is well-placed to see the event. This will be the first total lunar eclipse for the Americas since 2022. The above photo was taken during the 2022 event.
A total lunar eclipse occurs when the Moon is in its full phase and the Sun, Earth and Moon exactly line up. From our perspective, the Moon is opposite the Sun in the sky. During a lunar eclipse, the Moon slides into Earth’s shadow blocking sunlight reflecting off the Moon.
The Earth actually has two shadows, a light outer or penumbral shadow and a dark inner umbral shadow. A partial eclipse will occur when the Moon is in the outer part (penumbra) of Earth’s shadow and a total lunar eclipse will occur when the Moon is fully in the inner part (umbra).
Here is a local timeline of the event:
- 10:57 p.m. Thursday: the Moon will begin sliding into Earth’s penumbra. This part of the eclipse is not very exciting and there will only be a slight darkening of the Moon’s face — only a well-trained eye can detect it.
- 12:09 a.m. Friday: the Moon will touch Earth’s umbra. This is when the Moon will appear to have “bites” taken out of its illuminated surface.
- 1:26 a.m.: the Moon will be completely immersed in Earth’s umbra and totality begins. The Moon will not be reflecting any direct sunlight back to Earth. Rather, as sunlight passes through Earth’s atmosphere, this light is bent or refracted and falls onto the surface of the Moon. This will give the Moon a reddish color, sometimes described as a “Blood Moon.” The blue or shorter wavelengths of light are scattered in Earth’s atmosphere, while the longer red wavelengths are allowed to pass through. This is why we have red sunrises or sunsets.
- 1:58 a.m.: this is maximum eclipse when the Moon is in the deepest part of Earth’s shadow.
- 2:31 a.m.: totality ends, and the Moon again progresses through partial eclipse.
- 5 a.m.: the entire event ends at 5:00 am CDT.
With the recent wildfires and volcanic eruptions over the past few years, it’s difficult to say how red the Moon will appear during totality. The particulate matter and aerosols suspended in Earth’s atmosphere, will determine how much refracted light will fall on the Moon. The Moon could be completely dark, or it might take on an eerie red hue. Unlike a solar eclipse which is not safe to look at, lunar eclipses are entirely safe to watch.
The Full Moon nearest the Vernal or Spring Equinox is often referred to as the “Worm Moon.” It is said the Southern Native American tribes gave this Moon its name due to their observations and appearance of earthworms in spring. Will we see a Full Blood Worm Moon?