If you live in Arizona, you are in for a treat, as on April 4 you could be in the perfect area to witness a total lunar eclipse happening early in the morning. When a total eclipse of the moon takes place, this is when the moon passes through the shadow of the Earth and blocks the sun light from getting to the moon that you can see from the Earth. This causes the moon to appear in the sky as a dark, red ball.
This can be a great adventure to witness, as this lunar eclipse is something that only a few people have seen in their lives.
This lunar eclipse that is scheduled to occur on April 4 is predicted to be the shortest one of its kind happening this century, as the moon will be totally within the shadow of the Earth for 15 or less minutes. It’s a short eclipse this time around because the moon will travel along the edge of the shadow of the Earth, so the northern part of the moon may also look brighter than the southern part, which will be hidden inside the Earth’s shadow and won’t be viewable. You should be able to see with the naked eyes, without the need for a telescope.
A partial moon eclipse is expected to start over the state of Arizona at 3:15 AM and end at 6:15 AM and the total lunar eclipse is expected to begin at about 4:54 AM and end by 5:06 AM. However, various websites may list the time of the eclipse differently depending on the way the umbra, which is the deepest area of the shadow from the Earth, is defined. Times listed may vary between five and 15 minutes.
Unfortunately for those living on the East coast of the US, they will not be within the viewing area for the lunar eclipse, but the state of Arizona should be poised in a very good spot for viewers to have an adventure of being able to witness this thrilling event in the sky.
The total eclipse of the moon is happening only about two weeks after there was a total eclipse of the sun back on March 20, 2015. Scientists say that the occurrence of these two events so close together is very rare and it last happened in 2003 and won’t occur again until 2033.
So, if you live in Arizona and want a great adventure on April 4, be sure to be ready early in the morning to watch the total eclipse of the moon at approximately 4:54 AM. Otherwise you won’t get another chance to see this rare sight for over 15 years when it happens again in 2033.
