Puget Sound to experience full Blood Moon lunar eclipse tonight

SNOHOMISH COUNTY, Wash., November 7, 2022—Tonight at 12:02 a.m. PST, residents of Puget Sound will witness the beginning of a full Blood Moon lunar eclipse, the last one for the year. The total phase of the eclipse will begin at 2:16 a.m. and end at 3:41a.m., maximizing at 2:59 a.m. Tuesday morning. The next Blood Moon will take place on March 14, 2025.

The full eclipse will only be visible to residents of the California, Oregon, Washington, Alaska, Hawaii, Idaho, Colorado, North Dakota, Wyoming, Nevada, Arizona, Utah, and Montana. Partial eclipse will be visible from all other states.

According to TimeandDate.com, at least some parts of the Blood Moon lunar eclipse will be visible in North/East Europe, Asia, Australia, North America, most of South America, Pacific, Atlantic, Indian Ocean, Arctic and Antarctica.

A “blood moon” occurs when the Earth’s moon is in a total lunar eclipse. According to TimeandDate.com, a total lunar eclipse has seven stages:

Penumbral eclipse begins: This first stage is not that noticeable to the naked eye and occurs when the penumbral shadow begins to move across the moon.
Partial eclipse begins: The umbra begins to cover the moon. This is usually the first part of the eclipse visible to the naked eye.
Total eclipse begins: As the umbra completely covers the lunar surface, the moon turns a blood-red color.
Maximum eclipse: This is the stage of the eclipse with maximum coverage of the lunar surface by Earth’s umbra.
Total eclipse ends: Earth’s umbra begins to move away from the lunar surface as the eclipse begins to wrap up.
Partial eclipse ends: Earth’s umbra leaves the lunar surface.
Penumbral eclipse ends: Earth’s shadow is no longer cast across the lunar surface.

Earlier this year in May, many residents experienced a rare lunar eclipsed called a “super flower blood moon.” A moon is “super” when its orbit reaches one of its closest points to Earth — also called “in perigee.” May 15, according to the Farmer’s Almanac, is the time when flowers are in full bloom in spring in North America.

Tonight’s “Blood Moon” will appear to be a rusty red color due to the sunlight interacting with Earth’s atmosphere. This an optical illusion is caused because the atmosphere will scatter outward the shorter blue wavelengths leaving only the longer wavelengths like reds and oranges.