Good Conditions For Viewing Total Lunar Eclipse In Massachusetts: Forecast

MASSACHUSETTS — Early risers will get a nice reward Tuesday morning.

A total lunar eclipse — also called a "blood moon" due to the color of Earth's shadow — will begin around 3 a.m. in the skies over southern New England. The show will pick up around 4 a.m. when viewers will be able to see a "bite" taken out of the moon by Earth.

The total eclipse will peak at around 5:17 a.m. when the Earth's shadow fully covers the moon.

"A lunar eclipse occurs when the sun, Earth, and moon align so that the moon passes into Earth’s shadow," according to NASA. "In a total lunar eclipse, the entire moon falls within the darkest part of Earth’s shadow, called the umbra. When the moon is within the umbra, it will turn a reddish hue. Lunar eclipses are sometimes called 'blood moons' because of this phenomenon."

According to current forecasts, skies will be clear over southern New England Tuesday morning in time for the show. The National Weather Service is predicting clear skies — although temperatures will dip into the 40s across the state following three days of record-breaking high temperatures.