Weather prospects for Wednesday's total lunar eclipse are great for observers hoping to catch a glimpse of the "blood moon" from around the United States.
The moon will start moving into Earth's dark shadow, signaling the start of the partial phase of the eclipse, at 5:15 a.m. on Oct. 8. The total phase of the eclipse will begin about 70 minutes later. The only regions of the United States where poor total lunar eclipse viewing conditions are expected are in New England, the central Rockies and the Southwest desert.
The moon will set during the total phase for those near and along the Atlantic coast. Farther west, as the moon sets, it will be emerging from the umbra, the innermost and darkest part of the Earth's shadow. If weather does get in the way of your view of the eclipse, you can watch three lunar eclipse webcasts featuring live views of the celestial site on Space.com. [How to See the Total Lunar Eclipse (Visibility Maps)] kywatchers viewing the eclipse from the ground might be able to see the moon turn a coppery shade of red during totality Wednesday. This feature has led some to call the eclipsed moon a "blood moon."