Total lunar eclipse to occur on Election Day for first time ever. Here’s how to see it

Americans waking up early to head to the polls on Nov. 8 may be able to observe the first-ever Election Day total lunar eclipse, a rare occurrence that will not happen again for centuries, according to experts.

“With about 3 lunar eclipses occurring per year you’d expect this is something that would have already happened,” Tony Rice, a NASA Solar System Ambassador, wrote in an email newsletter.

But Election Day in the United States has only officially been held on the first Tuesday following the first Monday in November since 1845, when the Presidential Election Day Act was passed, Rice writes.

Up until that point, “states were allowed to hold elections any time they pleased within a 34-day period before the first Wednesday in December,” according to the History Channel.

This year’s inaugural Election Day lunar eclipse — a result of the moon, Earth and sun aligning, allowing the moon to pass into the Earth’s shadow — will be the last total lunar eclipse until 2025, according to NASA.

No special equipment is required to view the celestial phenomenon, according to NASA, though binoculars or a telescope will improve the view, and visibility will be poorer in areas with light pollution.

The western half of the U.S., including Hawaii, will be treated to the best view, “where the moon will appear almost directly overhead at mid-eclipse,” according to Space.com. From the east coast, the moon will be setting while it “begins to emerge from total eclipse.”

Space.com provides a chart which details the stages of the eclipse and the accompanying times on both the east and west coasts. Only night owls and early risers will have a chance to catch the eclipse as it will be over by 6:41 am on the east coast and 2:41 am on the west coast.

The moon is also expected to appear to have a reddish hue during the eclipse because the only light reaching the moon will be filtered through Earth’s atmosphere. “The more dust or clouds in Earth’s atmosphere during the eclipse, the redder the Moon will appear,” according to NASA. The nickname “Blood Moon” comes from this color change.

Assuming no changes are made to the voting schedule, this upcoming eclipse will be the only opportunity for Americans to witness an Election Day total lunar eclipse in their lifetimes, or many generations for that matter. The next one is not expected to occur until 2394, according to Rice.

The good news is that, for anyone who does not wake up early or who has poor viewing conditions, several organizations are expected to record the event and broadcast it online. NASA also has a Dial-a-Moon tool that provides a visualization of the eclipse.

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