Infrequent lunar eclipse performs Copper Side of the Moon early Tuesday morning

Stargazers in Manitoba have the chance Tuesday to watch the last total lunar eclipse on this side of the world until 2029.

The celestial event is slated to begin early in the morning, when the Earth passes between the moon and the sun, allowing the moon to descend into Earth’s shadow.

The moon will start to move into the Earth’s shadow between 4 and 5 a.m. before entering “totality” in which the moon enters the darkest part of Earth’s shadow, according to Andrew Rogers, a student technician at the University of Manitoba’s department of physics and astronomy.

For about an hour, the moon will bear a copper colour from the sun’s light passing by the Earth. The red hue cast on the moon is why the lunar eclipse is often nicknamed the “blood moon.”

In Manitoba the moon will set around 6 a.m., before it leaves Earth’s shadow, but Rogers assures stargazers will be able to see the majority of Tuesday morning’s event.

“We’re gonna be able to catch the beginning part and the fun, interesting totality part,” he said.

The best way to view Tuesday’s eclipse will be through binoculars, but the blood moon will be visible with the naked eye.

Lunar eclipses happen every year-and-a-half or so, but 2027’s eclipse will be visible only to those in the Eastern Hemisphere.

The event, and many other astronomical phenomena, is a reminder the night sky is full of wonder and connects people all over the planet, Rogers said.

“To me, astronomy is one of the most human sciences,” he said. “It’s connected in so many ways to all sorts of different of the things that we consider the human experience … and personally, I think it’s a fun connection to the past and the history of where we’ve come from.”

Those with plans to set their alarms and watch the eclipse won’t need to leave the city to get away from light pollution, a necessity to view other astronomical events, such as meteor showers or the northern lights, but Environment Canada is calling for clouds in its Tuesday-morning forecast.

nicole.buffie@freepress.mb.ca