April 14, 2014

2 min read

Google Logo Add Us On GoogleAdd SciAm

Catch a Total Lunar Eclipse Sidling Up to Mars—and Send Us Your Photos

A total lunar eclipse will coincide with Mars's closest approach to Earth, offering stargazers an unusual show

By Clara Moskowitz

Join Our Community of Science Lovers!

A blood-red moon will hang close in the sky with the Red Planet Monday night, thanks to the chance coincidence of two rare astronomical phenomena. The moon is due to fall under Earth’s shadow that night (actually the early hours of Tuesday morning) in a total lunar eclipse, one of two such eclipses in 2014. By fluke, Monday is also the date of Mars’s closest approach to Earth, when our neighboring planet should appear larger and brighter than usual.

Stargazers in North and South America should have a fine view of both events, weather permitting. If you plan to catch the sight, consider snapping a photo and sharing it with us below. We plan to post a gallery of the best shots at ScientificAmerican.com on Tuesday.

You will need to enable JavaScript in order to use the Widget.

On supporting science journalism

If you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today.

Total lunar eclipses occur when the sun, Earth and the full moon align in a row, with Earth in the middle. When the moon passes directly through Earth’s shadow, sunlight cannot reach it directly, so it doesn’t shine as usual. The moon doesn’t disappear, either, however, because some of the sun’s light reaches it indirectly, after being bent around the edges of Earth through our planet’s atmosphere. This effect causes the moon to glow a coppery red, for the same reason that sunsets are crimson-hued: When light travels through the thickest part of Earth’s atmosphere, blue light is scattered but red shines through.

The lunar eclipse show will begin around 2 a.m. EDT on Tuesday (April 15), and last about three hours. The moment of totality, when the moon is perfectly aligned in the center of Earth’s shadow, called the umbra, occurs at 3:45 a.m. EDT.

Whether you’re a veteran skywatcher or a novice stargazer, a total lunar eclipse is a sight to see. It’s easy to spot, visually stunning, and poses no hazard to you (in contrast to a solar eclipse, which requires safety viewing equipment). Plus, for viewers in North and South America, this eclipse presents a rare chance to see it from start to finish during our nighttime hours. The next time a total lunar eclipse will be viewable by the entire continent is in 2019.

Add to that the close alignment of the extra-bright Mars, and you’ve got a sight not to be missed. The Red Planet will hang just north of the moon in the sky, separated by a scant three degrees, in front of the constellation Virgo.

So grab your camera and share your view with us.

Clara Moskowitz is chief of reporters at Scientific American, where she covers astronomy, space, physics and mathematics. She has been at Scientific American for more than a decade; previously she worked at Space.com. Moskowitz has reported live from rocket launches, space shuttle liftoffs and landings, suborbital spaceflight training, mountaintop observatories, and more. She has a bachelor’s degree in astronomy and physics from Wesleyan University and a graduate degree in science communication from the University of California, Santa Cruz.

More by Clara Moskowitz

It’s Time to Stand Up for Science

If you enjoyed this article, I’d like to ask for your support. Scientific American has served as an advocate for science and industry for 180 years, and right now may be the most critical moment in that two-century history.

I’ve been a Scientific American subscriber since I was 12 years old, and it helped shape the way I look at the world. SciAm always educates and delights me, and inspires a sense of awe for our vast, beautiful universe. I hope it does that for you, too.

If you subscribe to Scientific American, you help ensure that our coverage is centered on meaningful research and discovery; that we have the resources to report on the decisions that threaten labs across the U.S.; and that we support both budding and working scientists at a time when the value of science itself too often goes unrecognized.

In return, you get essential news, captivating podcasts, brilliant infographics, can't-miss newsletters, must-watch videos, challenging games, and the science world's best writing and reporting. You can even gift someone a subscription.

There has never been a more important time for us to stand up and show why science matters. I hope you’ll support us in that mission.

Thank you,

David M. Ewalt, Editor in Chief, Scientific American

Subscribe