Super Blue Blood Moon viewing party early Wednesday at Carson City's WNC observatory
A total lunar eclipse viewing party early Wednesday at Western Nevada College's Jack C. Davis Observatory will test astronomy lovers’ ability to function on very little sleep.
Viewing will run from 3:15 a.m. to 7 a.m. The lunar eclipse will be even more unique by the fact that the day will double as a blue moon, marking the second full moon of the month.
“The eclipse will begin with shadow onset at 3:48 a.m. and reach totality at about 4:51 a.m.,” said Thomas Herring, JCDO director and WNC physics professor. “The moon will reach the center of Earth’s shadow at 5:29 a.m. and the total eclipse will end at 6:07 am. The moon will set behind the Sierra before the shadow completely moves off the moon’s disk.”
Herring said that there will be telescope viewing available to the public, as well as video from JCDO’s 14-inch telescope on the big screen inside, weather permitting. There will also be a large pot of coffee on hand for the early morning event.
The next lunar eclipse visible in Western Nevada will be Jan. 20, 2019, according to Herring.
The Observatory is located at 2699 Van Patten Drive in Carson City.
Meanwhile, beginning at 2:30 a.m. Pacific Time on Wednesday morning, a live feed of the Moon will be offered on NASA TV and NASA.gov/live.
You can also follow at @NASAMoon. Weather permitting, the NASA TV broadcast will feature views from the varying vantage points of telescopes at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California; Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles; and the University of Arizona’s Mt. Lemmon SkyCenter Observatory.
“For the (continental) U.S., the viewing will be best in the West,” said Gordon Johnston, program executive and lunar blogger at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “Set your alarm early and go out and take a look.”
The Jan. 31 full moon is special for three reasons, according to NASA: it’s the third in a series of “supermoons,” when the Moon is closer to Earth in its orbit — known as perigee — and about 14 percent brighter than usual. It’s also the second full moon of the month, commonly known as a “blue moon.”
The super blue moon will pass through Earth’s shadow to give viewers in the right location a total lunar eclipse. While the Moon is in the Earth’s shadow it will take on a reddish tint, known as a “blood moon.” Go here for more on the event from NASA.