RedOrbit NASA exclusive: How to see the lunar eclipse this Saturday

Emily Bills for redOrbit.com – @emilygbills

It’s eclipse season! On Saturday morning, anyone east of the Mississippi River will be able to wake up early (between 4:00-5:00AM CST, with maximum viewing around 7AM CST) and view the first total lunar eclipse of 2015.

This particular lunar eclipse is unique for a few reasons. For one, it’s actually going to be the shortest lunar eclipse of the century, only lasting about five minutes.

But what makes it this way? Mitzi Adams, NASA astronomer and expert on eclipses, told redOrbit that, “The moon can pass directly through the center of the Earth’s shadow, and if that happens you’re going to get a very long totality. If it is close to top or bottom of the shadow, you’ll get a shorter eclipse.”

Therefore: It’s perfect for those who want to see an eclipse, but also want to go back to bed.

This eclipse is also part of a tetrad, a rare event in which 4 total lunar eclipses occur at approximately six-month intervals. According to Adams, we are in a period of more “frequent” tetrads, as there will be 8 during the 21^st century.  The first one in this series occurred on April 15, 2014, the second in September of 2014, and the final eclipse will be on September 28, 2015.

Blood moon

The reason for the extraordinary brick red color that we experience lies in our atmosphere. As the sunlight is passing through Earth’s atmosphere, the blue part of the light spectrum is filtered out and the reds are least affected. As this sunlight enters and leaves our atmosphere, the light bends, and this double bending reflects the red tint on the moon’s surface.

If you’ve ever seen an exceptionally dark blood moon, Adams says it’s likely because the air is dirty. “The darker the color, the more ‘dirt’ is in the air. If there’s been a lot of volcanic activity over the past year or two, then the eclipse would be very dark. The color of the eclipse is affected by what is in the upper atmosphere.”

What’s the best way to view a lunar eclipse?

For this particular eclipse, Adams says you should look West. Unfortunately, it may be a little bit harder than normal to see. “The eclipse is happening as the moon is setting, so we may see very little of the total eclipse.” She recommends that you get a comfortable seat with a good view of the Western horizon, and just look up. You won’t have any need for a telescope, but you can use a pair of binoculars and a map of the moon if you want to identify craters as they are being eclipsed.

We also recommend playing this on repeat, our favorite eclipse-watching anthem (particularly if you’re not going to see it and your heart is broken):

You can watch the progress of this eclipse and ask astronomer Mitzi Adams any burning questions you might have via Twitter @NASA_Marshall on April 4. For your questions, use the hashtag #Eclipse2015.

Enjoy and may the force be with you.

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Source: http://www.redorbit.com/news/space/1113363484/check-out-the-lunar-eclipse-this-saturday-040115/