Andy Avalos details conditions for Wednesday's lunar eclipse.
Tuesday, Oct 7, 2014 • Updated at 10:56 AM CDT
Early risers and night owls will have quite the sight if they look into the sky Wednesday morning.
The second of four lunar eclipses, known as “blood moons,” expected to be visible in the U.S. over a two-year span will take place in the pre-dawn hours Wednesday morning, and those living in the Midwest could catch a glimpse of the rare treat.
The eclipse begins just after 4 a.m. Chicago time with the total eclipse phase taking place just before 5:30 a.m. and lasting for about an hour.
The Chicago area is forecast to have good viewing conditions for the celestial event.
Blood Moon Lights Up Chicago Area Sky
While more common than solar eclipses, lunar eclipses last longer and can be viewed almost anywhere on the night side of the Earth, provided there are no clouds to block the view, according to Chicago’s Adler Planetarium. And experts say no two are ever the same—they can range in color from brick red to copper to dark grey.
In all, four eclipses will occur this year, two lunar and two solar.
"The most unique thing about the 2014-2015 tetrad is that all of them are visible for all or parts of the USA," said NASA expert Fred Espenak on Nasa.gov. A tetrad is a series of four consecutive total eclipses that take place at six month intervals.
NASA officials report the moon will appear 5.3 percent larger than it did during an April 15 eclipse earlier this year.
Adler Planetarium will host a free viewing party for the cosmic alignment from 3:30-7 a.m. Wednesday. You can also watch it live online via two webcasts from NASA and the Slooh Community Observatory.
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