“Blood Moon” Lunar Eclipse April 15th 2am EDT

On April 15th, starting at 2am EDT, if you’re in North America be sure to go outside and marvel at the “blood moon.” NASA provided a helpful video (below) to understand what makes this eclipse appear bright orange to deep red. (Maybe it should instead be nicknamed “blood orange”?) The rich hues come from the dispersed light of the Earth’s sunrises and sunsets hitting the moon.  

This stunning eclipse is just the first in a series of four consecutive total lunar eclipses, known as a tetrad. Starting Tuesday, there will be a “blood moon” roughly every six months. Over the next year and a half, expect a reddish moon also on the following dates: October 8, 2014, April 4, 2015, and September 28, 2015. 

       Image credit: Shutterstock