Early risers and night owls should prepare to see a bright full moon turn a reddish hue during a total lunar eclipse early on the morning of April 15.
Completely safe to watch with the naked eye, astronomer Fred Espenak told the Washington Post that this lunar eclipse could take on "a dramatically colorful appearance, ranging from bright orange to blood red."
The eclipse should be visible across most of North and South America. According to NASA, it will begin as a partial eclipse at 1:58 a.m. ET, with the total eclipse lasting from 3:07 a.m. to 4:25 a.m. ET.
Not only significant to astronomers, social media sites have been abuzz with posts about the date, which is also known as the "full pink moon." A traditional Native American name inspired by the first spring flowers, it refers to a full moon that occurs in April -- not when the moon literally turns pink in color.
Still, this eclipse may be the exception. A reddish hue will surround the moon, due to the indirect sunlight that manages to reach and illuminate it. Sunlight must first pass deep through the Earth's atmosphere, filtering out most of the blue colored light, resulting this reddish color. Earth's atmosphere can also refract some of the light, causing a small fraction to reach and illuminate the moon, according to Espenak's website.
