Mark your calendar: Blood moon eclipse, meteor shower to happen in April
By Cassie Fambro | cfambro@al.com
on April 04, 2014 at 2:50 AM, updated April 04, 2014 at 7:51 AM
If you're a star-gazer, April has some impressive universe views to offer.
Beginning April 15, a "blood moon" eclipse will occur at approximately 2 a.m. CST in which the moon will look blood red.
"It is the same effect that you see when the sun turns reddish-orange at sunset, only in this case the refracted sunlight projects all the way to the moon," astronomer Gerald McKeegan told Circa.
The eclipse is one of four through 2015, with the next one in October. Mars will be close in April too, specifically April 14. It will be just 57 million miles away that day.
On April 8, the planets will be at opposition. That means Mars, Earth and the sun are in a straight line. It happens every 26 months.
The Lyrid Meteor shower is expected to steal the night sky's show on April 22 in the wee-morning hours when 20 meteors an hour after midnight are likely to be visible.
https://blog.al.com/wire/2014/04/mark_your_calendar_blood_moon.html