At one in the morning on March 14 Earth will be experiencing a total lunar eclipse that is expected to be visible in Powhatan, Virginia.
According to the National Air and Space Museum, a total lunar eclipse occurs when the Moon, Earth, and Sun align and the full Moon goes into the Earth’s shadow, “preventing sunlight from reaching the Moon.”
Unlike a solar eclipse that happens around two to five times annually, a lunar eclipse only happens once or twice a year. This eclipse is expected to only be visible around half the world, North and South America, Western Europe, and parts of Africa.
This lunar eclipse is also known as the “Worm Moon” because it’s in March when the earthworms are starting to come up.
During this eclipse the full moon will appear a reddish-orange color and be dimmer than the moon typically is. This is because there will be no sunlight hitting the moon, which means no sunlight will be reflected to Earth to give the moon that bright, glowing look. The total lunar eclipse is completely safe to look at with no eye protection because it is not going to cause eye damage due to it not getting brighter like a solar eclipse.
Remember to mark this on your calendars before you forget and have to wait another year!
