Partial lunar eclipse that hasn’t been seen in nearly 600 years will be visible overnight
A partial lunar eclipse set to peak over Alberta early Friday morning — which hasn't been seen for nearly 600 years — is sure to draw out photographers, amateur astronomers and general enthusiasts of celestial events.
Don Hladiuk, a member of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada, says he'll likely head west to see the partial eclipse if the clouds over Calgary don’t clear up enough.
“I’m willing to make a drive within reason to find some clear skies,” he said.
Starting just after midnight, Hladiuk says the moon will enter the dark part of the earth’s shadow and will take several hours to pass through, until it peaks just after 2 a.m MT.
There will be 97 per cent coverage.
Lunar eclipses aren’t unusual, but Hladiuk says this one is unique because it’s going to take longer to complete.
"There has not been this long of a partial eclipse since 1440. It’s been nearly 600 years since we’ve had this very long partial eclipse," he said.
The long wait makes it easy for professional photographers like Neil Zeller to capture beautiful images of the event. He will also try to find a clear vantage point to view the eclipse.
“The key to this is a very long lens, 500 to 600 mm would be a telephoto lens to use because it brings the moon closer than even our eyes can see it so we can create pretty impressive views," he said.
Hladiuk will be bringing his telescope and a pair of binoculars, but if people don’t have the fancy equipment, he says the eclipse will be safe to view with the naked eye.
As long as there aren’t any clouds, it can be viewed anywhere in the city.
“I have a reclining lawn chair set up with a sleeping bag so I don’t have to strain my neck, I‘ll be able to just lie back and have some hot chocolate to stay warm," he said.
Hladiuk says the moon will start to enter the dark part of the earth’s shadow around 12:19 a.m MT and exit at 3:47 a.m MT.
There will be a full lunar eclipse next year.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Doctors say capital gains tax changes will jeopardize their retirement. Is that true?
The Canadian Medical Association asserts the Liberals' proposed changes to capital gains taxation will put doctors' retirement savings in jeopardy, but some financial experts insist incorporated professionals are not as doomed as they say they are.
Something in the water? Canadian family latest to spot elusive 'Loch Ness Monster'
For centuries, people have wondered what, if anything, might be lurking beneath the surface of Loch Ness in Scotland. When Canadian couple Parry Malm and Shannon Wiseman visited the Scottish highlands earlier this month with their two children, they didn’t expect to become part of the mystery.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
It's no secret that spring can be a tumultuous time for Canadian weather, and as an unseasonably mild El Nino winter gives way to summer, there's bound to be a few swings in temperature that seem out of the ordinary. From Ontario to the Atlantic, though, this week is about to feel a little erratic.
What do weight loss drugs mean for a diet industry built on eating less and exercising more?
Recent injected drugs like Wegovy and its predecessor, the diabetes medication Ozempic, are reshaping the health and fitness industries.
He replaced Mickey Mantle. Now baseball's oldest living major leaguer is turning 100
The oldest living former major leaguer, Art Schallock turns 100 on Thursday and is being celebrated in the Bay Area and beyond as the milestone approaches.
What a urologist wants you to know about male infertility
When opposite sex couples are trying and failing to get pregnant, the attention often focuses on the woman. That’s not always the case.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.