Election Day Total Lunar Eclipse

A total lunar eclipse will occur Tuesday morning, Election Day! If you are getting up early to vote, it is worth getting outside and enjoying this special sky event. A Blood Moon is another name for a lunar eclipse. Tuesday morning, Dayton will be in the path of totality, which means the moon will pass completely through the Earth’s shadow at one point.

>>Various images of Super Moon

A lunar eclipse occurs during a full moon when the Sun, Earth, and the moon all align. The moon passes through the Earth’s shadow. During a total lunar eclipse, like the one this month, the moon is fully engulfed in the darkest part of the Earth’s shadow known and the umbra. This will be the last total lunar eclipse until 2025!

In the Miami Valley, the partial lunar eclipse will begin at 4:09 a.m., at this point, you’ll begin to notice it looks like the moon has a bite taken out of it! The total eclipse begins at 5:16 a.m., and this is when the moon will appear reddish. The maximum eclipse will occur at 5:59 a.m., and as the moon is setting in the west/northwestern sky, the eclipse will end.

This Blood Moon will be happening when the moon is low in the western sky so make sure you have a good view of the horizon without trees or buildings in the way.

This month’s full moon is also known as the Beaver moon, so you might hear this celestial event referred to as the Beaver Blood Moon!

A lunar eclipse can be safely viewed by the naked eye, so enjoy! Tuesday morning will be dry and cool with just a few passing clouds.

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