KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A rare lunar eclipse will appear in the early morning sky on Wednesday, May 26.
While we're not expecting totality in Kansas City, it will still be a neat view if the clouds clear.
What is happening?
A lunar eclipse is when the moon perfectly lines up in the Earth's shadow. The sun's light is then refracted around the Earth's atmosphere, scattering all but the "red" color from the visible light spectrum. This will highlight the moon in a red hue, also referred to as a Blood Moon.
An eclipse always coincides with a full moon, named the Flower Moon this month, and on top of that, it happens to be during the second super moon of the year! Combining all of that, you may hear this celestial event referred to as a "Super Flower Blood Moon."
When can I spot this?
Early risers get ready! The eclipse begins at 3:47 a.m. as the moon enters the Earth's shadow. It will end at 6:02 a.m. when the moon sets below Kansas City's horizon. We will see the maximum phase of the eclipse at 5:59 a.m.
What phase will we see?
The most ideal location to view this year's total lunar eclipse is west of the Rocky Mountains, however, Kansas City will be very close to viewing totality! It is technically a partial lunar eclipse this year with the maximum phase occurring for about three minutes.
Does the forecast look good?
Fingers crossed! We're hoping for clear skies in the predawn hours, but there's a chance some clouds stick around. Luckily, the rain should stay away and temperatures are comfortable in the middle 60s.
