Is it a full moon tonight? NASA says blood moon will light up Canada

Canadians looking up at the sky overnight will be able to witness a dramatic total lunar eclipse, according to NASA.

According to the space agency, a total lunar eclipse happens when the Earth moves between the sun and the moon, casting a large shadow across the lunar surface.

NASA says this shadow gives the moon a deep reddish orange glow, often called a “blood moon.” The alignment only occurs during a full moon phase.

The eclipse will unfold over several hours, NASA says the penumbral phase begins at 3:44 AM. ET. Totality begins at 6:04AM ET and will last about one hour. The eclipse is expected to end by 9:23 AM ET.

Catherine Miller with Middlebury College’s Mittelman Observatory told The Associated Press, “the lunar eclipse is a little more of a relaxed pace.”

Unlike a solar eclipse, no special equipment is needed to watch. A clear sky is enough to see the event.

NASA notes that solar and lunar eclipses occur between four and seven times a year. A partial lunar eclipse is expected in August, while the next total lunar eclipse is forecast for late 2028.