A deep partial lunar eclipse is happening tonight, and if you’re on the Suncoast with clear skies, you’ve got a front-row seat to one of nature’s best free shows. The eclipse reaches 96% totality at 12:13 a.m., which means the moon will be almost entirely covered by Earth’s shadow. Unlike solar eclipses, you don’t need special glasses, telescopes, or any fancy equipment—just your eyes and hopefully some clear skies.
As Earth’s shadow slides across the moon’s surface, something visually stunning occurs: the moon turns a deep reddish-orange color. This happens because Earth’s atmosphere refracts sunlight onto the lunar surface, creating an effect that’s basically like viewing all of Earth’s sunsets at once from the moon’s perspective. Jonathan Sabin, president of the Sarasota Manatee Deep Sky Observers, notes that as long as the weather cooperates and clouds part enough to view it, you’ll definitely see this effect.
For the best viewing experience, grab a pair of binoculars if you have them. According to Hannah Sparkes, planetarium supervisor at the Bishop Museum of Science and Nature, binoculars offer one of the best views of a lunar eclipse. This eclipse is also connected to a larger pattern—lunar and solar eclipses always happen in pairs about 2-3 weeks apart, and this one follows the solar eclipse that occurred over Europe a few weeks ago. Are you planning to stay up and catch it, or will you head outside early to catch the beginning stages?
