First 'Blood Moon' total lunar eclipse in 3 years starts Thursday night
Though rain has been forecast for much of the week, the eclipse will be visible in Southern California if the skies are clear from 9 p.m. on Thursday to 3 a.m. on Friday.
If the skies are clear Thursday night, people throughout Southern California will be able to see the first total lunar eclipse in nearly three years, according to astronomers.
Though rain has been forecast for much of the week, the eclipse will be visible in Long Beach and the rest of North America if the skies are clear from 9 p.m. on Thursday to 3 a.m. on Friday, Space.com reports.
The total lunar eclipse stage (often called a "Blood Moon") will last about 65 minutes and begin around 11:26 p.m. Thursday night, according to the Griffith Observatory.
Again, if there are clear skies, the eclipse will be visible with the naked eye and will be completely safe to look at.
Rain is forecast off and on in the Long Beach area through Friday, with the heaviest rain and wind gusts expected to take place Wednesday evening into Thursday morning, according to city officials.
A lunar eclipse occurs when the moon passes into the Earth's shadow. During a total lunar eclipse, the lunar surface will take on a copper color as sunlight is filtered and bent through the Earth’s atmosphere, according to this Griffith Observatory page on the eclipse.
If the eclipse is visible but you don't want to stand out in the cold, you can watch a livestream of it online courtesy the Griffith Observatory. The livestream broadcast will begin at 8:50 p.m. on Thursday.
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