Colorado skies along the Front Range are looking clear for the moment the curtain goes up on Thursday night’s near-total lunar eclipse, when a red-tinted moon will emerge across the entire state, visible to the naked eye.
A few clouds could threaten the show south and east of Denver, but stargazers in most areas can expect a viewing free of disruptions, according to 9News senior meteorologist Chris Bianchi.
“Unfortunately, all it takes is the wrong cloud in the wrong spot to mess it up, but I would say 70, 80% chance that we’re looking at good conditions around peak,” Bianchi told The Colorado Sun.
A lunar eclipse happens during a full moon when the Earth moves between the moon and sun, causing the Earth to cast a shadow over the surface of the moon and turning it red — what many call a “blood moon.”
Colorado won’t experience a total lunar eclipse but will come close. During the height of the eclipse, Bianchi predicts the eclipse will cover 92% to 95% of the moon’s surface.
Farther south, the odds of a clear moon sighting become hazier, Bianchi said.
He forecasts a greater chance for cloud cover south of the Palmer Divide in Colorado Springs and down around La Junta and Lamar.
“The further south you go, unfortunately the more cloud cover is possible,” he said. “So that is not ideal. Still, it’s gonna be hit or miss.”
The eclipse will begin changing the tint of the moon around 8:30 p.m. and will last until 1 a.m., reaching its peak in Colorado between 9:45 p.m. and 10:45 p.m., Bianchi said.
To catch the most brilliant moments of the eclipse, as the moon grows ever-redder, Bianchi recommends steering clear of city lights and heading out east past Denver International Airport where viewers can get closer to totality. However with a higher chance of clouds in that direction, Bianchi said it’s smart to be ready to hit the road and drive a few miles should a patch of clouds hide the moon.
A telescope or binoculars are helpful to zoom in on the show, he said, though the eye alone will be able to take in “hopefully a good show.”