Rare lunar eclipse shines over mid-Missouri

Stargazers in mid-Missouri got a rare show early Tuesday when the moon was eclipsed by Earth’s shadow.

The eclipse started shortly before 1 a.m. as the moon got darker and darker. While fully in Earth’s shadow, the moon took on a red hue because of the light filtering through the atmosphere. For that reason, this kind of eclipse is called a “blood moon.”

This was the first in a series of four total lunar eclipses, an event called a tetrad. The next chances to see a “blood moon” eclipse will be October 8 of this year, and April 4 and September 28 next year. All should be fully visible across the U.S. unless the skies are cloudy.