Blood Moon viewable early Tuesday morning

"The pale-faced moon looks bloody on the earth / And lean-looked prophets whisper fearful change."

— William Shakespeare, "Richard II"

A total lunar eclipse featuring a Blood Moon is predicted for early Tuesday morning beginning around 4 a.m.

"For nearly an hour, the moon will slip completely into the Earth's Shadow," wrote Great Falls meteorologist Erik Johnson, of KRTV, on Monday. "Skies should stay mostly clear for viewing in Montana."

Partial eclipse begins - Mar 3 at 2:50 a.m. (MST)

Total eclipse begins - Mar 3 at 4:04 a.m. (MST)

Maximum - Mar 3 at 4:33 a.m. (MST)

Total eclipse ends - Mar 3 at 5:02 a.m. (MST)

Partial eclipse ends - Mar 3 at 6:17 a.m. (MST)

The Moon will be in the constellation Leo, under the lion's hind paws, according to a Jan. 29 article by Caela Barry for NASA.

It's typical for the moon to appear dark red or orange during a total lunar eclipse, she indicated.

"This is because our planet blocks most of the Sun’s light from reaching the Moon, and the light that does reach the lunar surface is filtered through a thick slice of Earth’s atmosphere," Barry wrote at www.science.nasa.gov. "It’s as if all of the world’s sunrises and sunsets are projected onto the Moon."

As Earth's shadow dims the moon's surface, constellations may be easier to see than when the moon is full, she added.

A few days later, there will be a conjunction of Venus and Saturn — meaning they will seem close to one another. That is predicted for March 8.

For sky-watching tips, visit NASA's site at  at https://science.nasa.gov/skywatching/whats-up/.