Which are the best places to watch the lunar eclipse near us? What we know
The first total lunar eclipse in two and a half years will be visible from Florida this week.
The night show will turn the moon a blood-red shade for more than an hour.
Depending on the time, the eclipse will appear different as it progresses. While the blood-red moon will be visible for more than an hour, the entire event lasts just more than six hours.
In Leesburg, The Weather Channel forecasts a mostly clear sky.
Wear a sweater or jacket, or bring a blanket. The low will be near 55 degrees.
Clermont will be partly cloudy with a low of around 59 degrees.
On the night of Thursday, March 13, the moon will begin to darken slightly as it enters the outer part of Earth's shadow — also called the penumbra.
This will begin to happen at 11:57 p.m. but will not be highly noticeable.
Staying up later will give the best show. Beginning at 1:09 a.m., the moon will start to darken more noticeably as the partial eclipse begins. At this point, the moon is moving into the Earth's shadow.
At 2:26 a.m. on Friday, the moon enters into the total eclipse — known as totality. At this point, the only light from the sun reaching the moon are red wavelengths, turning the moon a blood-red. This will last for 65 minutes, with the greatest eclipse occurring at 2:59 a.m.
At 3:31 a.m., the totality will end, and the moon will be only partially eclipsed again, starting to move out of Earth's shadow.
By 4:47 a.m., the partial eclipse will be over, and the moon will once again start to appear full. By 6 a.m., the event will be fully over, with the moon back to its normal brightness.
First, you'll want to find an area that is unblocked by trees and buildings, obviously, but also a "dark sky" area, where ambient light doesn't obscure the cosmos.
If you live in Groveland, have loved ones there, or want to spring for a hotel, the southern Lake County city is the first community in Florida and the Southeastern United States to become a certified international DarkSky Community in 2023.
Ocala National Forest is a recognized dark sky location in Florida for stargazing and astronomy activities.
As a U.S. national forest, dispersed camping, also known as boondocking, is permitted away from car and RV campsites, which allows for even darker skies. A permit may be required. Visit fs.usda.gov to find out more.
Floridians are days away from witnessing a total lunar eclipse, with the "blood moon" visible for several hours as the Earth casts its shadow across the moon.
Here's what to know about the lunar eclipse and its view from cities across Florida.
This article originally appeared on Daily Commercial: Where, when to watch lunar eclipse in Lake County & The Villages
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