WEST MICHIGAN — The third in a series of four total lunar eclipses called the lunar tetrad will be visible in West Michigan Saturday morning.
The lunar tetrad, is a rare occurrence of two total eclipses in a row with six full moons in between. This is a very rare occurrence because not all eclipses are full, in fact only one in three are total, so it is very rare to have four back to back.
The first total lunar eclipse occurred almost one-year ago on April 15th 2014 and will wrap up with the last lunar eclipse on September 28th of this year.
What makes this eclipse special is that not only is this the first lunar eclipse of 2015 but it is also the shortest eclipse of the 21st Century. With 4 minutes and 43 seconds of totality the show will likely be short but sweet.
But despite being the shortest lunar eclipse of this century, it may prove to be one of the most photogenic. The entire United States will have a front-row view, with viewers on the West Coast seeing the full show and East Coast viewers only seeing a partial eclipse before the moon sets.
For us here in West Michigan, the weather will be nearly ideal for viewing. Skies will clear overnight allowing for full viewing. But despite the ideal weather conditions, our chance to view the celestial sight will be brief.
The eclipse will start at approximately 6:15 AM in West Michigan, with its peak low on the horizon by 7:19 AM. Moonset will occur shortly after 7:20 AM with the moon below the horizon by 7:30 AM.
Although short and sweet, it should make for great viewing especially along the Lakeshore. As the moon starts to eclipse, it will also start to set allowing the moon to appear much larger.
As always, send us your eclipse pictures to weather@fox17online.com or post them to the FOX17 Facebook page or Twitter.
