WEST MIAMI-DADE, FLA. (WSVN) - South Florida is in for a special night as a lunar eclipse unfolds Thursday evening.
The rare event, so called “almost blood moon,” will begin around 10 p.m. Thursday, peak after midnight, and last over five hours.
At Florida International University, students packed the Stocker Astroscience Center Thursday night to view the out-of-this-world sight.
“It’s beautiful and the first time I’ve ever seen it,” said student Mark Volchno.
“It cleared up so I figured, ‘Beautiful night. I have nothing going on, and it only happens so often,'” said student Carissa Kowitski.
A partial eclipse happens when a portion of the moon moves into the darkest part of Earth’s shadow, creating a near-total reddish glow.
“For most of human history, we didn’t know what caused it. Now we do; science told us what we know. It’s happened before humans were here and will continue happening,” said FIU Physics Professor Dr. James Webb.
Unlike the solar eclipse seen in South Florida in 2024, no special glasses are needed to observe the lunar eclipse. This is easier to view because it is reflected sunlight bouncing off the moon.
“I have all these students who have never seen it before, so it never gets old for me. I get to turn them on to seeing an act of nature like this,” said Webb.
So for residents across South Florida and FIU students, take a few minutes Thursday night or early Friday morning to look up and see something worthwhile.
“I think it is really beautiful,” said student Kenneth Echavarrea.
If you miss Thursday’s partial lunar eclipse, the next full lunar eclipse will take place in 2029.
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