Hey all,
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I owe you an update - just got back from 3 weeks of travel in Japan so keep an eye on your inbox for a report on that coming soon!
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In the meantime, I wanted to give you some information on a space event you can (clouds permitting) enjoy from your backyard - particularly if you live in the United States.
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On March 13th or the early morning hours of the 14th (location dependant) we will experience a total lunar eclipse!

What's a total lunar eclipse?

Often referred to as a blood moon, a total lunar eclipse occurs when the moon passes perfectly in the shadow of Earth. Here's a little diagram to illustrate what happens:
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"During a lunar eclipse, the Earth passes between the Sun and the Moon, blocking direct sunlight from reaching the Moon. However, some sunlight is scattered and refracted (bent) by Earth's atmosphere, allowing a portion of it to reach the Moon indirectly.

The reason the Moon appears red/orange during a total lunar eclipse is due to Rayleigh scattering—the same phenomenon that makes sunrises and sunsets appear red. Earth's atmosphere scatters shorter-wavelength blue light more effectively, while longer-wavelength red light passes through and is bent toward the Moon.

The exact shade of red depends on atmospheric conditions. If the atmosphere has a lot of dust, pollution, or volcanic ash, the Moon may appear darker red or brownish. If the atmosphere is relatively clear, it may appear brighter orange or coppery."

(I put my basic explanation in ChatGPT and it made it clearer 😂)​
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Where do I look - and when?

Where depends on your location, but generally south and half way up the sky (between straight up and the horizon). It's the moon - it'll be hard to miss 😂. Also, note that you do not need to be in a dark location to experience this, it will be perfectly visible from any level of light pollution (clouds permitting).

When depends on your location - see the table here:

And here's the current outlook for clouds - check windy.com for a more accurate forecast on the night of the eclipse.

If you're not in the U.S., here's an article for you to find more information. This map is a helpful guide for which places will be able to see it:

As the late and great Alyn Wallace would say,

"I wish you good luck and clear skies".

Cheers,

Mike