Lunar eclipse: Chicago sees full moon partially eclipse
CHICAGO (WLS) -- The longest partial lunar eclipse in nearly 600 years was visible in Chicago Thursday night and Friday morning.
Those in the Midwest could see the full moon eclipse between Friday at 1:18 a.m. CT and 4:47 a.m. CT, the longest partial lunar eclipse since 1440, according to ABC7 meteorologist Larry Mowry.
Anyone in the U.S. under clear skies could see the celestial show, as it will be visible throughout the entire North American continent, along with Australia, New Zealand, eastern Asia and part of South America. Click here for your local forecast.
At most, 97% of the moon was covered in darkness. The celestial body reached maximum eclipse at 3:02 a.m. CT, and this will be the best time to peak at the night sky.
The moon took on a reddish/brown hue around the peak viewing time.
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Lunar eclipses happen when the moon enters the Earth's shadow, putting the sun, earth and moon in alignment.
Lunar eclipses only happen on the night of a full moon. November's Beaver Moon is also a "micromoon," meaning the full moon disc will appear unusually small in the sky.
While this week's partial lunar eclipse is the longest of its kind in nearly 600 years, July 2018's total lunar eclipse lasted about 12 minutes longer.
