Those waking up early on Saturday morning are in for quite a show as a total lunar eclipse brightens up the sky for the first time since last year.
The total lunar eclipse will start just after 6 a.m. and will last about an hour. A partial lunar eclipse will be visible earlier, at about 4:45 a.m., when a red shadow will begin to cross the moon.
By 6:05 a.m. the moon will go completely red, according to NASA.
The moon is scheduled to set below the western horizon soon after 7 a.m., shortly before the sun
rises.
The celestial display is expected to be visible from the West Coast and with warmer nights expected -- lows in the 40s and highs in the 60s.
The sky will be brightening as the dawn comes on, meanwhile, the eclipse will be progressing through its different stages.
"This is definitely one to bring a camera for," said Alan MacRobert, Senior Editor of Sky and Telescope.
Local
MacRobert added that photographers should use a long lens camera and go to places like the beach or areas without too much distraction from the horizon.
When to watch the lunar eclipse:
Event: Time:
Partial eclipse begins 4:45 a.m.
Total eclipse begins 6:05 a.m.
Mid-eclipse 6:32 a.m.
Total eclipse ends 6:57 a.m.
Android smart phone users can catch the show online and using their devices with an app from an online Space Camera called "Slooh".
The camera will broadcast a free, real-time feed of the eclipse from telescopes in Australia, Asia and Hawaii.
Slooh will provide the feed on an Android App available for download in the Android Market.
Saturday’s eclipse won’t be one to miss because the next total eclipse won’t happen again until April 2014.
