The first of four total lunar eclipses expected over the next two years will take place this month, according to USA Today.
The full moon will change to a "reddish hue" on April 15 due to a refraction of sunlight by the Earth's atmosphere.
The full moon will appear to be a little darker than usual at first, "but eventually people will notice a much darker arc moving across the moon, with a distinct rusty reddish-brown color," said astronomer Gerald McKeegan at the Chabot Space and Science Center in Oakland, C.A., according to USA Today.
The eclipse will be visible at approximately 1:58 a.m. when entering the Earth's umbral shadow.
At approximately 3:07 a.m., the total eclipse will be visible in the southwestern sky, with peak totality expected around 3:36 a.m.
"During a total lunar eclipse, a full moon almost always exhibits a coppery red color, which is due to the scattered light from the Earth's sunrises and sunsets that fall on the surface of the moon," said WebProNews.
A "blood moon" is considered symbolic to many religions, like Judaism and Christianity. Both lunar eclipses expected this year are scheduled to take place on or around Jewish holidays.
Lunar eclipses are one of the few astronomical events that can be seen with the naked eye.
When it begins, "the Earth's shadow will make a slow crawl across the moon's face, appearing as if there is an increasingly large 'bite' taken out of the moon," said Deborah Byrd with EarthSky.org, an online science magazine, according to USA Today.
The April 15 ellipse marks the start of a lunar tetrad. A tetrad occurs when there are four successive total lunar eclipses, with no partial lunar eclipses in between.
The last tetrad took place in 2004.
The three remaining eclipses are expected to take place on Oct. 8, 2014; April 4, 2015; and Sept. 28, 2015, according to USA Today.
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