Mobile, Alabama – There will be a total lunar eclipse on Saturday, April 4 at 6:36 a.m. and the best place to watch it on the West Coast in the United States is from here. However, it will only show a part of the eclipse as it is expected to be one of the shortest lunar eclipses since 1856 according to space.com. It is advisable for enthusiasts to set their sights early to view this phenomenon.
In the opinion of Physics professor, Ethan Vishniac, “Nobody would want to watch it unless you are an insomniac.”
It will last for about five minutes only and will appear to be reddish – orange in color and some people have labelled it as a bloody moon. The eastern side of the United States will only get a brief glimpse of this occurrence, they may not get to see the entire eclipse, but, only a part of it. This is due to the fact that the moon will be descending in the western direction during this phase.
A total lunar eclipse occurs when the moon earth and sun are aligned in a manner that the earth covers the entire light that must fall on the moon. The moon first enters in the outer shadow of the earth known as the penumbra. This is what gives it its reddish appearance. The moon then gradually moves into the darkest region of the earth’s shadow, called the umbra and completely disappears from sight giving it a deep red hue. There is some light however that reflects from the earth’s atmosphere, giving it some illumination.
This total lunar eclipse will last for only 4 minutes and 31 seconds over the United States, after which the moon will gradually start to appear. This event can be witnessed all over the country and the rest of the world; however, for viewers in the United States, the west coast would be the best place to be in.
There is no special protection or equipment that is needed to watch the lunar eclipse. Viewers can use telescopes or binoculars to get a better picture.