By Laura Balanko-Dickson
Staff writer
lbalankodickson@fortfrances.com
In the early hours of Tuesday, Mar. 3, a total lunar eclipse, sometimes called a blood moon, will be visible in Fort Frances and much of North and South America.
“A lunar eclipse occurs when Earth is between the Moon and the Sun. The Moon passes through the shadow cast by Earth,” reads a statement from the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) on lunar eclipses.
“This phenomenon can only happen during a full moon, when the Moon is on the opposite side of Earth from the Sun. Unlike solar eclipses, lunar eclipses can be seen by practically an entire hemisphere, which means that a much larger number of people can see them for a longer period of time.
Being the only full moon in March, the Farmers’ Almanac refers to this as a Worm Moon. Since a lunar eclipse is happening at the same time, some are calling it a Blood Worm Moon.
“A total lunar eclipse will go through all three stages [of a lunar eclipse] and will usually last between 30 and 60 minutes,” the CSA said in the release.
“Even during a total lunar eclipse, the Moon is never completely invisible. Sunlight is refracted through the Earth’s atmosphere and gives the Moon a red hue, which is where the name Blood Moon comes from.”
According to The Song of the Stars, a book written by the local educator and citizen-of-the-year Robert Horton, the Anishinaabe name for this moon is Aandego-giizis – the Crow Moon.
The penumbral lunar eclipse of Aandego-giizis, the Crow Moon, will occur in the early morning of Mar. 3, around 2:44 a.m. Central, moving into partial eclipse at 3:50 a.m., and the total lunar eclipse starting at about 5:04 a.m.
While no special protection or equipment is needed to view the lunar eclipse – it’s safe to view with the naked eye – binoculars, a telescope, or a camera might make the viewing a bit easier.
According to the CSA, only two lunar eclipses happen each year, and a total lunar eclipse, also called a Blood Moon, happens in 37.3 per cent of all lunar eclipses.
