AFP via Getty Images Are you ready for Tuesday’s total lunar eclipse? An 85-minute “Blood Moon” total lunar eclipse is coming to North America on Tuesday, November 8, 2022 for the last time until 2025. Here’s everything you need to know—when to see it, where you are, how to photograph it and where to stream it live online. It’s a celestial event lasting over five hours, during which our satellite will drift and then exit Earth’s shadow into space. As it reaches its center it will take on a reddish-copper color. It is visible to everyone in North America, the Pacific and East Asia. Most astronomers will tell you that it is best seen in western North America, where we will see it in its entirety. All you’ll need is a clear sky and open eyes… oh, and either an alarm clock or the ability to stay up really late. Here’s everything you need to make the most of the “Beaver Blood Moon” total lunar eclipse:
When to see the total lunar eclipse “Blood Moon”.
A total lunar eclipse is a global event. Here is the sky schedule for North America on Tuesday, November 8, 2022. Go outside between these times to see with your own naked eyes as the Full Moon takes on a strange reddish hue:
5:17- 6:42 am EST on Tuesday, November 8, 2022 (peak total at 5:59 a.m. EST) 4:17- 5:42 am CST on Tuesday, November 8, 2022 (peak total at 4:59 a.m. CST) 3:17- 4:42 am MST on Tuesday, November 8, 2022 (peak total at 3:59 a.m. MST) 2:17- 3:42 am PST on Tuesday, November 8, 2022 (peak total at 2:59 a.m. PST) 00:17- 1:42 am HST on Tuesday, November 8, 2022 (peak total at 12:59 a.m. HST)
Where to live stream the “Blood Moon” total lunar eclipse.
There are so many fake live streams on YouTube that show any old garbage that could easily be a previous eclipse or something even less relevant. Here are three very reliable channels to watch coverage of the total lunar eclipse from around the world:
How to photograph the ‘Blood Moon’ total lunar eclipse.
There are some great tutorials on how to photograph the total lunar eclipse using a smartphone and a “proper” camera—see here, here, and here—but the basics are:
How to take a “Blood Moon” close-up.
use a mirrorless or DSR camera with a 500-600mm telephoto lens (although 300mm will do just about). focus on infinity. start with ISO 100, aperture f/8 and shutter speed 1/125-1/250 sec, but as totality begins and the Moon turns red, try ISO 800 and f4-f8. Also experiment with the shutter speed, but no less than 1/2 second.
How to photograph the ‘Blood Moon’ with a smartphone
get something interesting in the foreground – like a tree, building or mountain (but avoid anything brightly lit). put your smartphone on a tripod because it will need a long exposure. lock your exposure to the Moon by tapping it on the screen, then take the photo. It will take a few seconds, probably around 25 seconds if you are in a dark place (the darker the better!). experiment with manual settings if your phone allows you to do so/if you have a third-party app
This composite image created on January 31, 2018 in Japan shows the moon during a total lunar … [+] eclipse. AFP via Getty Images
How to observe the ‘Blood Moon’ total lunar eclipse.
Although you can easily watch the total lunar eclipse with just the naked eye, a pair of binoculars (or a small telescope) will help you get a great close-up shot. Use these binoculars to look just above, to the left of the Moon, and you should see the seventh planet Uranus — which is bright enough to easily see during a total lunar eclipse. Look for it when the Moon’s surface is completely red. There are several stages of the eclipse to observe, most notably the partial phase when the Moon begins to turn red. However, with totality this large all you need to do is go outside at any time during the 85 minute totality phase.
Anything else I should know?
If you are on or around the east coast of North America, then you may be able to see a “selenite” eclipse. A lunar eclipse occurs when the Moon rises fully at sunset (in the evening, at sunrise) or sets completely eclipsed at sunrise (in the morning, at sunset). The entire east coast of North America in the US up to the Outer Banks of North Carolina will see a lunar eclipse – look east to see dawn break and the Sun rise, then look west to see a completely eclipsed Moon. The phenomenon occurs due to the curvature of the Earth – our planet’s atmosphere refracts the images of the Sun and Moon and makes them appear in slightly different positions. Here are seven more things to know about the total lunar eclipse. Disclaimer: I am the editor of WhenIsTheNextEclipse.com I wish you clear skies and open eyes.
