Fountain Valley: When To Watch For the April 4 Lunar Eclipse

Don’t blink! You might miss it! The Saturday, April 4, total lunar eclipse will be the shortest one of the century, lasting five minutes or less.

``Unless it is cloudy, the lunar eclipse will be visible throughout Los Angeles and the surrounding region,’’ according to a statement issued by the Griffith Observatory. ``People need only go outside and look up to view it.’’

The lunar eclipse -- which is the result of the moon passing into the shadow cast by the Earth -- can be viewed safely with the unaided eye, although telescopes or binoculars may enhance the view.

During the eclipse, the moon will not become fully dark, but it will reflect a faint copper or red color, the result of sunlight being filtered and bent by the Earth’s atmosphere.

The Griffith Observatory will be closed to the public for tomorrow’s total lunar eclipse, but is planning a live webcast of the celestial event.

The webcast will begin at 2 a.m. Saturday and continue for 4 1/2 hours, a representative for the observatory said.

When to Watch

-- 2:01 a.m.: Penumbral eclipse begins;

-- 3:15 a.m.: Umbral first contact, when first portion of the moon is

visibly eclipsed;

-- 4:58 a.m.: Moon is completely eclipsed;

-- 5 a.m.: Greatest eclipse;

-- 5:02 a.m.: Moon emerges from full shadow;

-- 6:44 a.m.: Moon sets in the west at the end of the darkest partial

eclipse.

The webcast will be available at

http://new.livestream.com/GriffithObservatoryTV.

If you take any pictures of the total lunar eclipse, send them to paige.austin@patch.com for inclusion in our gallery!

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• City News Service and Patch Staffer JAIMIE CURA contributed to this report.