Bay Area skywatchers will have to look closely to see Tuesday’s partial lunar eclipse.
The California coast is at the edge of the viewing range, and the moon will be rising just as the eclipse begins.
The eastern part of the continent will be a little better visible because part of the full moon – this month’s is known as the harvest moon – will be obscured by umbra.
In the San Francisco Bay Area, the moon will rise around 7:15 p.m., just as the sun sets. For many observers, it will take a few more minutes for the moon to leave the eastern hills.
The eclipse will begin around 7:13 p.m. and peak at 7:44 a.m. It will appear as a darkening on the upper left edge of the moon. At that time, the San Francisco Bay Area will still be in the “nautical twilight” phase, not quite dark.
All of North America will be in a much better position to observe a total lunar eclipse — a “blood moon” — on March 14, 2025.
Originally published:
