There’s great news for stargazers and astronomy fans, especially for North Americans. On the 14th and 15th of April we will witness a great celestial happening, the total lunar eclipse. This is the first lunar eclipse since the one that took place on the 10th of December in 2011 which was most visible from North America. This eclipse will also be the first of two eclipses that will happen in 2014. This total lunar eclipse will last 1 hour, 17 minutes and 48 seconds and it will be visible in its entirety starting with the central Atlantic and moving westward to the eastern parts of Australia.
The penumbra will start at 9:45 pm on the 14th of April and the peak of the eclipse will be at 12:45 am PDT on the 15th. The total lunar eclipse can be seen in some parts of Africa, Europe and East Asia but the best view will be in America and New Zealand.
Apparently, this year and next year there will be a total of four lunar eclipses, called a tetrad, so if you miss this one you can still catch the one that will take place on the 8th of October or the ones in 2015, on the 4th of April and the 28th of September. If you miss all four, the next tetrad of eclipses will take place in 18 years.
Another great news is that the total lunar eclipse will be broadcasted live by the Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles.
Total Lunar Eclipse – the red moon
Scientists say that the moon will look “bloody” because of the refraction of sunlight through the atmosphere of the Earth.
Another great astronomical event that will take place on the same night will be the apparition of Mars next to the Moon, like a red, fiery star. We can’t wait to see it! So if any of you can film the total lunar eclipse on your smartphone, please share.