The first lunar eclipse of the year will happen on Saturday morning and skywatchers in the United States will get a glimpse of what is usually called as "Blood Moon" because the moon will glow red.
According to NASA, the total lunar eclipse on Saturday will be visible in all part of United States on Saturday, weather permitting. Residents in the west will have a full view of the eclipse starting 4:58 a.m. Pacific Time and will witness the event for five minutes. The lunar eclipse on Saturday will reportedly be the shortest of the 21st century.
On the other hand, residents in the eastern part of the country will have to wake up before the sun rises to witness the eclipse. A partial eclipse will be visible around 6:16 a.m. ET and will last until the moon sets.
The total lunar eclipse, which happens when the moon is full and it is directly opposite the sun with the earth in between, will also be fully visible in Japan, Hawaii, Northeastern Russia, Western Alaska and countries near the Pacific Ocean, as it is described by astronomers as a "Pacific Ocean spectacle."
How Will The Moon Look Like on Saturday Morning?
During the eclipse, skywatchers will witness the moon turn reddish because of the sunlight from the sun that was already filtered by the Earth's atmosphere. It is the reason why the rare event is usually dubbed as "Blood Moon."
"That red light shining onto the moon is sunlight that has skimmed and bent through Earth's atmosphere. That is, from all the sunrises and sunsets that ring the world at any given moment," Alan MacRobert of Sky and Telescope magazine said of the Blood Moon.
How & Where to Watch?
Unlike a solar eclipse, it is safe to watch the event without wearing any eye protection. The astronomical wonder will be best viewed with the use of a binocular or a powerful telescope.
For people living in countries where the rare eclipse will not be visible, an online live stream will be available on Slooh Community Observatory and Space.com. The online live stream will also show the event as it happens in Australia and Hong Kong
Saturday's lunar eclipse, which came just 15 days after the solar eclipse last month, will be first of two eclipses this year. The second lunar eclipse of the year will happen on Sept. 28. There were also two lunar eclipses last year, which happened on April 15 and October 8 - part of the series of four lunar eclipses known of "tetrad."
