Keep an eye on the sky during the wee hours on Wednesday to catch the second and final total lunar eclipse of 2014. NASA says the eclipse will be best seen from areas within the Pacific Ocean, including Hawaii.
The total lunar eclipse will be visible at approximately 12:25 a.m. Hawaii time, according to NASA. The Earth will begin moving between the moon and sun around 10:15 p.m. Tuesday with a partial lunar eclipse visible by about 11:14 p.m. The total lunar eclipse will peak at 12:54 a.m. and end by 3:33 a.m. on Wednesday.
The National Weather Service in Honolulu forecast mostly clear skies with haze after midnight on Wednesday.
A total lunar eclipse occurs when the sun, Earth and moon form a nearly straight line so that the full moon passes through the Earth’s shadow, a phenomenon known as umbra. Total lunar eclipses are often referred to as “blood moons” because of the reddish color that is seen.
Because Wednesday’s eclipse occurs two days after a lunar perigee, which is the point when the moon is closest to Earth, NASA said the moon will appear 5.3 percent larger than the previous “blood moon,” which occurred on April 14-15.
Wednesday’s total lunar eclipse follows a total lunar eclipse on April 14-15. In all, four eclipses — known as a “tetrad” — will occur this year, two lunar and two solar. The last is a partial solar eclipse that will occur Oct. 23.