SOUTHERN COLORADO — A deep partial lunar eclipse will be visible across Southern Colorado on Thursday, giving you the perfect excuse to stay up late to check things out. At its peak, more than 90% of the Moon will slip into Earth’s shadow, giving much of the Moon a reddish or coppery appearance.
And unlike a solar eclipse, you won’t need special glasses to watch it.
When can you see the eclipse in Colorado?
For Colorado Springs, the Moon will rise around 7:28 pm Thursday, with the partial eclipse set to begin at 8:33 pm.
The eclipse will reach its maximum at approximately 10:12 pm, when about 93% of the Moon will be covered by Earth’s umbral shadow. The partial eclipse will end around 11:51 pm.
Why will the Moon turn red?
A lunar eclipse happens when Earth moves between the Sun and the Moon, causing Earth's shadow to fall across the lunar surface.
During tonight's partial lunar eclipse, most of the Moon will take on a deep reddish-orange or copper color, while a small portion remains brightly illuminated.
Commonly known as the blood moon, the reddish color comes from sunlight passing through Earth's atmosphere, which change the moon's appearance to red, orange, or copper in color.
Will the weather cooperate?
This may be the biggest question for people hoping to watch from Southern Colorado.
In Colorado Springs, the forecast calls for a chance of thunderstorms Thursday afternoon and evening. Storm chances will be decreasing after sunset tonight, which is 7:36 pm. Clouds will continue to break apart gradually, with mostly clear to partly cloudy skies by close to 10 pm.
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