A lunar eclipse for night owls

OK my fellow space cases, we are a week away from the total lunar eclipse next Wednesday, Oct. 8. That's the good news, the bad news is the eclipse runs its course between 3:12 to 5:23 am, that is as in the early morning.

Well, I guess we gotta take'em when we get'em.

A total lunar eclipses happens only when the moon is full. At that point Earth is between the Sun and the moon and casts it's shadow out into space. The eclipse happens when the moon passes through that shadow.

This full moon is the second of a series of four in 2014 and 2015 called a "tetrad." A tetrad is a series of four consecutive full moons happening at 6-month intervals. The first of the current tetrad series was on April 15, of this year.

The third will be on April 4, 2015, and the last on September 28, 2015.

All of the U.S. west of the Mississippi River will be able to observe all of the eclipse's duration. For those east of the Mississippi, to moon will set before the eclipse is over.

Here is an extra-added attraction.

During the total phase of the eclipse it will be possible to observe the gas-giant planet, Uranus, just to the moon's left. At magnitude 5.7, it should be visible to the eye alone from a very dark-sky location, certainly in binoculars, in fact the moon and planet will be in the same field of view--if you hold the moon to the right side of the field.

As discussed before, there are two sections to Earth's shadow, the penumbra, or outer shadow, and the umbra, the inner and darker shadow.

When the moon is in the penumbral shadow it is difficult to almost impossible to tell there is an eclipse in progress. However, when the moon crosses into the umbra you will be able to see the very distinct, rounded, shadow edge of Earth.

This rounded edge gave the first hint to ancient astronomers that Earth was round, and not flat.

The penumbral eclipse starts at about 2:18 am MDT, followed by the umbral phase which starts at about 3:12 am MDT. Totality -- when the moon is entirely inside the umbral shadow -- will be at about 4:38 am MDT.

During totality the moon takes on a distinct reddish tint ranging all the way from slightly rusty to deep, dark red. This coloration is from all of the sunsets and sunrises happening on Earth at the same time.

Earth's atmosphere bends the sunlight and focuses it on the moon. This eclipse may not be very dark red because it does not go through the exact center of the umbra, but slightly off to its right.

Totality lasts until about 5:23 a.m. MDT when a slight bit of bright returns to the upper edge of the moon. The moon leaves the umbral shadow at about 6:34 a.m. MDT. Moonset follows at about 7:14 a.m. MDT.

Be sure to adjust for your time zone. The minutes number may not be exact for your location, but they will be close.

SKYWATCH: Full moon Wednesday, Oct. 8. The planet Uranus will be visible just to the left of the eclipsed moon early Wednesday morning.

NEXT WEEK: The coming partial solar eclipse and more astronomical blathering.