West Michigan will get the chance to see a total lunar eclipse Tuesday morning. These are also called "blood moons" because the moon will turn a dark red color during totality.
A total lunar eclipse happens when the Earth passes directly between the sun and moon which causes a shadow on the moon. This will lead to the moon turning a dark red or orange color. According to NASA, this can only happen when the moon is in its full moon phase.
For West Michigan, the eclipse will happen predawn Tuesday. A partial eclipse begins around 4:50 a.m. When this happens, it will look like a chunk of the moon is missing. Totality will then begin at 6:04 a.m. When this happens, the moon will turn that dark red or orange color. The total eclipse will last for about an hour and end at 7:02 a.m. After this point, not much will be seen in West Michigan as the sun begins to rise and the moon sets.
No special equipment is needed to view the lunar eclipse and people should look to the western sky for the moon.
As for viewing chances in West Michigan, the weather forecast is not looking good. There will be a mostly cloudy sky around the area but it is not out of the question to see a few breaks in the clouds if we are lucky.
This is the last total lunar eclipse that will be visible in Michigan until June 2029.
For the latest details on the weather in West Michigan, head to the FOX 17 Weather page.
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