Better catch the moon's disappearing act Tuesday—there won't be another like it for more than two years. The total lunar eclipse will be visible throughout North America in the predawn hour—the farther west, the better—and across Asia, Australia, and the rest of the Pacific after sunset. As an extra treat, Uranus will be visible just a finger's width above the moon, resembling a bright star, per the AP. Totality will last nearly 1 1/2 hours—from 5:16am to 6:41am EST—as Earth passes directly between the moon and sun. Known as a blood moon, it will appear a reddish-orange from the light of Earth's sunsets and sunrises. At the peak of the eclipse, the moon will be 242,740 miles away, according to NASA scientists.
Among those providing a livestream of Tuesday's lunar extravaganza: Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles and the Italian-based Virtual Telescope Project. It's the second total lunar eclipse this year; the first was in May. The next one won't be until March 2025, though plenty of partial lunar eclipses will be available in the meantime. Binoculars and telescopes will enhance viewing on Tuesday, provided the skies are clear. South America will also get a glimpse of the eclipse, weather permitting. Striking out altogether: Africa, the Middle East, and most of Europe will have to wait until the next one.
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