Full lunar eclipse: ‘Blood moon’ photos light up social media
The first lunar eclipse of 2014 — known as “blood moon†— is lighting up social media tonight as people post photos of the moon and the eclipse.
Large crowd descended on the Griffith Observatory to look at the eclipse.
They posted a variety of photos on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Here is a sampling:
In Los Angeles, the most impressive part began around 11 p.m. when the first “bite†is taken out of the moon. It will be blotted out entirely by 12:06 a.m. Tuesday, said experts at the observatory.
Look to the south for the moon, said Joe Sirard, an amateur astronomer who is also a National Weather Service meteorologist in Oxnard.
As the “bite†spreads across the moon, it will transform into a dark “blood moon.†The dark red hue will come from the light of sunsets and sunrises over the rest of the Earth.
The weather forecast for prime “blood moon†viewing in Los Angeles couldn’t be much better.
“We’ll have clear skies — even down to the beaches,†Sirard said.
It will also be a great time to see Mars, which will be the brightest point of light near the moon, Sirard said. The second-brightest will be the star Spica in the constellation Virgo.
If you plan to watch the eclipse, try not to be too late, he said.
Once the eclipse “becomes total … it might be somewhat hard to see at that point,†Sirard said.
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