COLUMBUS, Ohio — Friday morning, we will be treated with a once-in-a-lifetime event. For the first time in 580 years, the longest partial lunar eclipse will grace the skies and be visible here in Ohio.
The eclipse will span over three hours and 28 minutes, starting at 2:18 a.m. EST and peaking at 4:02 a.m. EST.
The moon will leave full shadow at 5:47 a.m. EST and will be completely out of Earth's shadow at 7:03 a.m. EST, about three minutes before it sets.
Lunar eclipses are sometimes also called “blood moons”. That reddish tint appears when the moon is fully in Earth’s shadow causing the light to bend and refract.
The stretched-out light waves cause that red color, just like in our sunrises and sunsets. If the air is clear, the eclipse will be bright with shades or red or orange but if there is haze or pollution, the moon will have a brown appearance.
Lunar eclipses are safe to view with the naked eye. The next lunar eclipse will take place during May 15-16 and Nov. 8, 2022.