On Wednesday October 8th, The Midwest was treated to a rare eclipse called a blood moon as the sun rose.
The sun rose soon after the total period ended and there was
first light already toward the end of the "total" period. The skies
were clear, offering a great viewing opportunity to see the moon in the western
sky. There was no danger to your eyes so you could have stared as long
as you liked.
The total eclipse and the rising sun were in the sky
simultaneously for a short period of time, allowing watchers to catch a glimpse
of both.
Most often, a lunar eclipse occurs before sunrise. On
Wednesday morning, the Earth, while passing between the moon and sun, eclipsed
the moon in the process.
This lasted through sunrise.
The moon and sun are often visible in the sky at the same
time- so what makes this occurrence special?
During a lunar eclipse, the sun and moon are 180 degrees
apart in Earth's sky- with one rising as one sets- which should make it
theoretically impossible to see both.
Thanks to a trick of the light, in which the atmosphere
bends light at a certain angle near the horizon, an optical illusion will make
the sun and moon appear slightly higher in the sky.
