How to watch the 'super flower blood moon' lunar eclipse in Vancouver

Sunday night's 'super flower blood moon' lunar eclipse should be visible from Metro Vancouver, but only if the clouds part and the weather cooperates. 

The eclipse is set to begin around 7:30 p.m., reaching its maximum at 9:11 p.m., according to timeanddate.com. By 9:53 the whole thing will be over.

According to the Canadian Space Agency, it's both safe and easy to observe the stunning show in the sky.

"Lunar eclipses are one of the most easily observable astronomical phenomena because you do not need any equipment to observe them. However, you can use binoculars or a small telescope to see more details. You can even take a photo of a lunar eclipse with your cell phone under the right circumstances," the website reads.

"Contrary to solar eclipses, it is safe to observe a lunar eclipse with the naked eye. No special eye protection is necessary. Unlike solar eclipses, lunar eclipses can be seen by practically an entire hemisphere, which means that a much larger number of people can see them for a longer period of time."

if the sky is clear, spotting the eclipse should be as easy as walking outside and looking toward the southeast.

A total lunar eclipse occurs when the Earth, sun and moon are aligned so that the moon crosses in the inner part of the Earth's shadow, called the umbra. When this happens, the sunlight becomes refracted through the Earth's atmosphere and indirectly shines on the moon, causing the reddish colour that inspired the name "blood moon."

Because this full moon falls during the month of May, it's also nicknamed the "flower moon" by the Old Farmer's Almanac to celebrate the blooming of flowers in the spring.

This lunar eclipse will be rare, given its length. The totality of the eclipse will last around 85 minutes. According to The Weather Network, this will be the longest total eclipse visible from Canada since 2007.

The next lunar eclipse that will be visible in Canada will take place between Nov. 7 and 8 later this year. 

ONLINE LIVESTREAMS

If it's too cloudy, there are several online options for watching. 

NASA will be broadcasting the event live on YouTube starting at 9:32 p.m. EDT. The agency will also be holding a Q&A to discuss the science behind eclipse as well as NASA's future plans for a manned moon mission with the Artemis program.

 

In Los Angeles, the historic Griffith Observatory will also be livestreaming the eclipse starting at 10:35 p.m. EDT and will have a timelapse video of the event posted to its YouTube channel the following day.

 

The Virtual Telescope Project will have a livestream featuring different views of the eclipse around the world. 

With files from CTV News' Tom Yun