"Blood Moon" Lunar Eclipse Greets Early Risers
CHICAGO (CBS) -- For the second time this year, Chicagoans were treated to a glimpse of a blood moon, when the moon turned red during a total lunar eclipse early Wednesday.
WBBM Newsradio's Bernie Tafoya reports the Adler Planetarium hosted a skywatching party, and a couple hundred people joined in, including Lauren Bailey.
"I actually stayed awake all night waiting for it," she said.
October 2014 Blood Moon
Some brought blankets, drinks, and snacks to watch the eclipse from a hill outside the Planetarium.
The eclipse began around 4:15 a.m., as the Earth's shadow began passing across the surface of the moon, which gradually turned red as it moved through the Earth's shadow. The moon reached total eclipse around 5:25 a.m., and was fully within the Earth's shadow for more than an hour.
"It's amazing how quickly the moon actually passes through the shadow," Adler Planetarium astronomer Michelle Nichols said. "Only takes a few hours from start to finish, so this is one of the more accessible sky events to check out."
Several people brought powerful telescopes to get a closer look at the blood moon.
The moon set in Chicago before the eclipse ended around 7:30 a.m.
The city and much of North America also were treated with a blood moon in April. Most of the country will be able to see two more total eclipses next year, on April 4 and Sept. 28, 2015.
