A view of the “Blood Moon” taken from Highlands Ranch early October 8, 2014. The Earth will position itself between the sun and the moon, creating a full lunar eclipse with a majestic red hue. (John Leyba, The Denver Post)
It will be brief — and early, but on Saturday morning, Colorado will have a great view for the first of two total lunar eclipses of 2015.
The April 4 eclipse, set to begin as the moons sets low in the western horizon, will be the shortest total lunar eclipse seen this century, with full coverage clocking in at only 4 minutes and 43 seconds.
So be prepared, . The window for the full eclipse of this “blood moon” lasts from just 5:57 a.m. to 6:02 a.m.
In Colorado, the eclipse will reach “totality” (when the moon is fully shaded by the Earth’s reddish shadow) about 45 minutes before setting in the west. Typically, , totality for a lunar eclipse can last more than an hour. But on Saturday, the moon’s orbit will barely skim along the edge — rather than through the center — of the earth’s shadow, resulting in an abbreviated full eclipse.
From start to finish, including partial coverage, the Earth’s shadow will begin its creep across the lunar disc at 4:16 a.m. and end at 6:46 a.m., when the moon will set.
The Earth and the moon are currently in the midst of what which is a rare occurrence of four total lunar eclipses occurring at six-month intervals. Saturday’s eclipse marks the third in the series. The fourth and final total eclipse comes later this year on Sept. 28.
For clarification: A makeshift illustration highlighting important times for Saturday morning’s total lunar eclipse. (The Denver Post)
This eclipse because it happens on the weekend of Passover and Easter, but since both holidays are based on lunar calendars, it shouldn’t be all that surprising.
Forecasts suggest the weather should cooperate, with clear skies and temperatures in the upper 20s expected for early Saturday.
One final note: Each full moon has a traditional name (although many of them turn out to be 19th century creations if you research it.) This one is called the Full Spouting Grass Moon. Really. And not just in Colorado!
