Lunar eclipse seen in the sky tonight
USU students wishing to see the lunar eclipse today “don’t need a telescope,” said Patrick Wiggins, NASA solar system ambassador to Utah. He said they can “just walk outside and look up.”
“A lunar eclipse is when the moon passes into the shadow of the earth,” Wiggins said. “One could happen every year, but the next one visible from Utah isn’t until 2010.”
The moon will begin to eclipse around 6:45 p.m., will reach totality between 8 and 8:50 p.m. and will end around 10 p.m., Wiggins said.
During totality, the moon can be a variety of colors, including orange, red and copper, or it can even appear to be invisible, Wiggins said.
Variations in the moon’s color and appearance are due to atmospheric differences. For example, a dustier atmosphere can make the moon appear blood red or invisible, while the moon viewed on a clear night is fairly bright, Wiggins said.
“There are two different types of eclipses: a solar eclipse, which is an eclipse of the sun, and a lunar eclipse,” Wiggins said. “The next total solar eclipse visible from Utah will not occur until 2045.”
Viewing a solar eclipse requires special equipment, but a lunar eclipse can be viewed safely without any equipment, Wiggins said.
Anyone who would like to view the eclipse from a telescope can go to the Stanbury Park Observatory Complex, the University of Utah Observatory or the Southern Utah University Observatory, but a telescope isn’t necessary, Wiggins said.
“To get the best view of the eclipse, get away from city lights, because during totality, that’s where you will see the colors at their best,” he said. “Partial phases, however, can be seen from everywhere.”
-lindsay.anderson@aggiemail.usu.edu