The second of two total lunar eclipses for the year is arriving on October 8th, with full visibility in the Americas.
According to Universe Today, the moon will be high in the sky by the time the total eclipse happens, and will last an entire 61 minutes, just 18 minutes shorter than the one from April.
Although rumors around the internet has dubbed the next eclipse as a blood moon, the website, EarthSky.org was quick to point out that the reddish color of the moon for this eclipse is due to the bent light rays that passed through the Earth's shadow.
Here is the schedule of the phases of the eclipse:
- P1- Penumbral phase begins: 8:14 UT/4:14 EDT/1:14 PDT
- U1- Umbral (partial) phase begins: 9:15 UT/5:14 EDT/2:14 PDT
- U2- Totality begins: 10:24 UT/6:24 EDT/3:24 PDT
- Mid-totality- 10:55 UT/6:55 EDT/3:55 PDT
- U3- Totality ends: 11:25 UT/7:25 EDT/4:25 PDT
What's even better for October is that there are quite a few celestial surprises that according to the International Business Times, include two eclipses, two meteor showers, and Uranus at an opposition. Here are the rest of the celestial wonders for the tenth month of the year:
October 7 - the planet Uranus will be seen in the sky and will be an opportunity for astronomical enthusiast to observe the planet with rings, unfortunately, according to the website, it will appear only as a tiny blue-green dot using the most powerful telescopes, but just in case you have one, you don't want to miss it.
October 8 & 23 - the harvest moon will appear and a total lunar eclipse can be seen for over an hour in North America on October 8, while a partial solar eclipse can be seen on the 23rd.
October 8 & 9 - the Draconids meteor shower will grace the skies with only about 10 meteors per hour and will difficult to see while the total eclipse is ongoing, but it should look better later on.
October 22 & 23 - another meteor shower will grace the skies with an average rate of 20 meteors per hour, and although not heavy, it will still be more visible compared to the Draconids because it will coincide with a new moon.
Finally, Earthsky noted that five planets will be visible in October: Mars, Saturn, Mercury, Venus, and Jupiter.