In the early morning hours of March 3rd, Utah will witness a total lunar eclipse. Here are a few details and some suggestions if you are interested in viewing this event. Lunar eclipses are wonderful celestial events for a few reasons. They are beautiful to watch, and much more slow and non-stressful compared to solar eclipses. You do, however, have to go without some sleep for this one especially. There will not be any official UVAC events around this eclipse. You’re on your own! We don’t recommend looking at the full moon in a telescope or binoculars without a moon filter. It is quite bright and could have an affect on your vision during the eclipse. If you happen to have a smart telescope, they will really shine (sorry) for this event.
Here are the times for the March 3rd eclipse in Utah. All times are local to Utah.
Penumbral Eclipse Begins: ~1:44 a.m.
This is the least interesting part, at least until shortly before the partial phase begins.
Partial Eclipse Begins: ~2:50 a.m.
This is when the fun starts. Assuming clear skies, the start of this phase will be obvious. A moon filter on a telescope will show the very beginning bite taken out of the moon by the Earth’s shadow.
Totality (Total Eclipse) Begins: ~4:04 a.m.
The blood moon
Maximum/Peak Eclipse: ~4:33 a.m.
Likely the deepest red portion of the eclipse. Don’t expect it to disappear completely, but it will get pretty dark.
Totality Ends: ~5:03 a.m.
This will start the process of the earth’s shadow revealing the moon again
Partial Eclipse Ends: ~6:17 a.m.
It will be somewhat light in Utah before the end of the partial phase. It will be interesting to see what it looks like.
It important to remember that because this is early morning during a full moon, you will be looking south and west to view it, especially as the eclipse develops over the hours. By 5am it will be fairly far west.
If you decide to venture away from your back yard, consider a location where west and south are relatively open and dark. As always we are grateful to Camp Floyd State Park for allowing us to observe at their cemetery location. Otherwise, a location south of Santaquin might work well. As was said, there will be no official UVAC activities around the eclipse, you will need to make your own arrangements.
If you are looking for a bit of an explanation of the mechanics of a lunar eclipse, this NASA video is helpful.
