By Aidan Mortensen | KOAL News

Turn around and look to the sky on the evening of Tuesday, March 3, as a total eclipse of the Moon graces the Castle Country Area. The lunar event is expected to begin at approximately 2 a.m. and last until approximately 6:17 a.m.

“The show will start officially just before 2 a.m. MST when the Moon enters Earth’s rather faint and fuzzy outer shadow,” explained NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassador to Utah Patrick Wiggins. “But the main event will start at 4:04 a.m. when the entire Moon will be engulfed in the dark part of Earth’s shadow and totality begins.” 

The event is almost one year removed from the last total lunar eclipse, which came on March 13 last year.

The totality of the eclipse begins at 4:35 a.m. and lasts until 5:03 a.m. Following totality, the eclipse will go into its partial phase until 6:17 a.m. Wiggins warns that past that point, the Moon will sit only slightly above the horizon and will be partially blocked by mountains.

Typically, during total lunar eclipses, the Moon, the Sun, and the Earth align so that the Moon enters the Earth’s shadow, creating an orange-red tint to the Moon, commonly referred to as a “Blood Moon.” 

However, Wiggins clarifies that there’s no way to predict in advance how the eclipse will affect the Moon’s appearance. “Some eclipses have been so dark the Moon has disappeared. But usually some light does leak around the edge of the Earth giving the Moon a yellowish, to coppery, or even blood red appearance.”

Following the lunar event, Utahns will have to wait until 2029 for the next total lunar eclipse.

For those waiting for the next total eclipse of the sun, don’t hold your breath, as it isn’t expected until 2045. “Mark your calendars,” jokes Wiggins.

For more information regarding the eclipse and general moon-watching tips, you can visit the NASA Daily Moon Guide, which provides lunar observation recommendations for each day of the year.