INTERACTIVE GRAPHIC: Moon will slip into Earth's shadow tonight

Story by Cindy Clayton, The Virginian-Pilot

Grab your binoculars for a chance to watch the moon turn a warm, rusty color.

Tonight, the earth’s shadow will eclipse the moon, turning it the color of cinnamon, said Bruce Hanna, director of the Pretlow Planetarium at Old Dominion University.

“This is going to be a good one,” Hanna said by phone Tuesday. “It’s going to be at a respectable time where a lot of people will be able to see it without a lot of effort.’’

If the weather permits, the eclipse should be visible without any equipment from anywhere in Hampton Roads, Hanna said. He predicted that partly cloudy skies shouldn’t hinder the viewing.

The moon should be in total eclipse by 10 p.m., Hanna said.

“The whole moon changes to this eerie color,” Hanna said.

No special filters or equipment are needed for the event, Hanna said. Lunar eclipses, unlike solar eclipses, are safe to view directly.

A pair of binoculars should make viewing more enjoyable, he added.

Because he has to teach a class Wednesday night, Hanna won't be holding a viewing at the Pretlow Planetarium. He recommended stopping by the planetarium in Chesapeake behind the Chesapeake Public Schools Administration building at 312 Cedar Road.

The eclipse should last about an hour, Hanna said.