Early Friday Morning, a Total Lunar Eclipse Will Be Visible in Pittsburgh
Adults and ‘young astronomers’ alike can easily enjoy this Friday’s blood moon with no equipment necessary.
PHOTO: ADOBE STOCK
In the early morning hours this Friday, a total lunar eclipse will be visible throughout western Pennsylvania.
Amanda Iwaniec, director of theater experiences at the Carnegie Science Center, says, “[The eclipse] will begin Thursday night at 11:57 p.m. and reach totality around 2:26 am. So, about 2:30 … wipe the goop out of your eyes and go look outside.”
Totality will last around 65 minutes and slowly fade; by 4:00 a.m., it will no longer be visible.
A total lunar eclipse happens when our Earth, sun, and moon all line up in one line. As the moon fully enters the umbra, or shadow, of the earth, light waves from the sun bend around Earth and bounce onto the face of the moon, creating a reddish-orange hue.
PHOTO: ADOBE STOCK
The eclipse is also referred to as a “blood moon” because of the red color we see from Earth.
“What makes a total lunar eclipse really special is that our moon is on an orbit around the sun that is not fully on the same plane as Earth,” Iwaniec says. “It’s tilted — so, as the moon goes around the sun, it doesn’t always line up.”
The last time a total lunar eclipse was visible in Pittsburgh was in December 2020.
“You don’t even need special equipment to see this total lunar eclipse, which is really great for all of your young astronomers,” Iwaniec says. “Since the sky will be darker, constellations and other planets may also be visible.”
