A lunar eclipse known as the “Super Flower Blood Moon” will be viewable in Wyoming early Wednesday morning.
Around 4 a.m. Wednesday, the Earth, sun and moon will align to allow for a total lunar eclipse. While Wyomingites might have to get up a little early to see it, University of Wyoming planetarium director Max Gilbraith said the view is worth it.
“You’re going to see this red and black glow over the mountains, because this is not only a lunar eclipse, but it’s also the time of a supermoon,” he said.
A supermoon is a full or new moon that appears larger than normal due to the Moon coming closer to Earth during its elliptic orbit.
The eclipse should be viewable in all corners of Wyoming, but the farther west you get in the state, the later the sun rises and the moon sets, so the residents of Jackson might get to sleep in a few minutes later than those in Cheyenne or Laramie and still catch the event.
The totality, or the point when the Earth’s shadow fully obscures the moon, for this lunar eclipse will last about 14 minutes. This is the first total lunar eclipse since 2019.
Lunar eclipses tend to occur about every 18 months, Gilbraith explained, and are viewable across a wider swath of the earth, unlike solar eclipses, which usually can only be seen in a certain areas.
“Lunar eclipses are a little less rare than solar ones, but they provide such an incredible view,” he said.
While you don’t need binoculars to see the lunar eclipse, they will provide a sharper detail for viewing.
