A total lunar eclipse is happening across Canada, and the moon will turn red!
Some parts of the country will have a better view of the blood moon, so here’s what you need to know.
On Tuesday, March 3, the entire country will see some or all of this total lunar eclipse as the moon aligns with the sun and the Earth.
Depending on where you are in Canada, the moon will be red for almost an hour during the full phase.
These are the phases of a total lunar eclipse:
- penumbral — the penumbral part of Earth’s shadow starts moving over the moon
- partial — Earth’s umbra starts covering the moon, and the eclipse becomes more visible
- full — Earth’s umbra completely covers the moon, and the moon looks red
Only the penumbral and partial phases will be visible in Atlantic Canada before the moon sets, except for western parts of New Brunswick, including Campbellton and Edmunston.
From Quebec to B.C., all or most of the eclipse, including the blood moon portion, will be visible before moonset.
B.C., Alberta, the Northwest Territories and Yukon are some of the best places in the world to see the total lunar eclipse.
The entire eclipse will be visible from start to end in Victoria, Vancouver, Kelowna, Kamloops, Prince George, Cranbrook, Whitehorse, Yellowknife, Grande Prairie, Banff, Jasper, and more places.
Calgary, Edmonton, Lethbridge, Medicine Hat, Regina, Saskatoon, Moose Jaw, Portage la Prairie, Winnipeg, Churchill, Thunder Bay, Sault Ste. Marie, Timmins, Tobermory, Sarnia, Windsor and nearby areas will see most of the eclipse.
Moonset is after the full phase of the eclipse but before the end of the other phases in those parts of the country.
Southern and eastern parts of Ontario will see the moon turn red, but the moon dips below the horizon before the end of the full phase.
That includes Toronto, Mississauga, Brampton, Kitchener, London, Hamilton, Niagara Falls, Barrie, Peterborough, Oshawa, Belleville, Kingston, Ottawa and nearby areas.
Montreal and Quebec City will also see the blood moon, but moonset is during the full phase of the eclipse.
The full phase of this total lunar eclipse begins on March 3 at 3:04 a.m. in Vancouver, 4:04 a.m. in Calgary and Edmonton, 5:04 a.m. in Regina and Winnipeg, and 6:04 a.m. in Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal and Quebec City.
You don’t need any special equipment to see a total lunar eclipse. Unlike solar eclipses, lunar eclipses are safe to look at with the naked eye.
This article’s cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.
