Angelenos are exactly where they need to be to see Thursday’s partial “blood moon” lunar eclipse — provided the weather cooperates.
For now, the National Weather Service is forecasting a “mostly cloudy” night, meaning that even geographical front-row seats to the celestial phenomenon won’t guarantee a solid viewing.
But not knowing what to expect is part of the fun.
The moon will already be in the first, or penumbral, stage of the eclipse when it rises over the southeastern horizon at 7:18 p.m. The main stage of the eclipse will begin at 7:34 p.m., when the moon will fall under the core, or umbra, of Earth’s shadow. It will gradually turn a reddish, copper color as sunlight bends and filters through the atmosphere to fall on the otherwise-obscured part of the moon.
The eclipse will peak at 9:13 p.m., when 96% of the moon’s surface will fall under the Earth’s shadow. The most visible phase of the eclipse will end at 10:52 p.m., and the eclipse will end entirely just after midnight.
While it will have a similar glow, this eclipse is not considered a true “blood moon,” as it is only a partial event.
The Griffith Observatory will open its doors from 7:25 p.m. to 10 p.m. to anyone who wants to observe the eclipse among fellow sky gazers. The observatory warned people to expect limited parking and congested traffic due to a show scheduled for that night at the Greek Theatre.
Residents can also choose to watch the eclipse from home on the observatory’s live broadcast. For more details, check out the observatory’s page about the eclipse.
Nearly 1 billion people in the Americas will be able to see the entire eclipse. More than 3 billion people will be in position to catch at least part of it.
The next partial lunar eclipse visible from L.A. will occur Jan. 11, 2028, according to a NASA database.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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