A Blood Moon and Total Lunar Eclipse Will Be Visible Down Under on Tuesday Night
The moon will be fully immersed in shadow for 85 minutes — and it's the last total lunar eclipse that'll be visible in Australia and NZ until 2025.
Whatever your plans are on Tuesday, November 8, change them — or find a way to include peering at the sky into your diary, too. For 85 minutes, folks Down Under will be treated to a blood moon and a total lunar eclipse, giving you a stellar reason to spend your night staring upwards.
While blood moons aren't particularly rare, there is one big reason to look up this time around. This total lunar eclipse is the last one that'll be able to be seen in Australia and New Zealand until 2025.
If you're wondering what else you need to know, we've run through the details below.
WHAT IS IT?
If you're more familiar with The Mighty Boosh's take on the moon than actual lunar terms, here's what you need to know. When a full moon happens to coincide with a total lunar eclipse, it's also called a blood moon.
Why? Yes, it has to do with the colour. When the astronomical body passes directly into the earth's actual shadow, it turns a blood-red shade thanks to sunlight that's filtered and refracted by the earth's atmosphere.
WHEN CAN I SEE IT?
If you're keen to catch a glimpse, you'll want to peek outside on Tuesday, November 8. According to Timeanddate.com, the total lunar eclipse is due to begin at 9.16pm AEDT in Sydney and Melbourne — and, because of daylight saving in the southern states, at 8.16pm AEST in Brisbane.
Those times adjust accordingly in Adelaide (8.46pm) and Perth (6.16pm) — with the full total lunar eclipse running for 85 minutes.
In NZ, you'll be looking up from 11.16pm.
Moonrise will happen before that, and the partial eclipse will begin 67 minutes prior to the totality times, too — so at 8.09pm in Sydney and Melbourne and 7.09pm in Brisbane, for instance.
WHERE CAN I SEE IT?
You can take a gander from your backyard or balcony, but the standard advice regarding looking into the night sky always applies. So, city-dwellers will want to get as far away from light pollution as possible to get the absolute best view.
Naturally, you'll be hoping for cloud-free skies that evening.
If you can't get a clear vantage, The Virtual Telescope Project will be live-streaming from the skyline above Rome from 8.30pm AEDT / 7.30pm AEST / 10.30pm NZ time.
The blood moon and total lunar eclipse will take place on Tuesday, November 8, with the full total lunar eclipse starting at 9.16pm AEDT / 8.16pm AEST / 11.16pm NZ time. For further information, including about timing, head to Timeanddate.com.
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