Canada is such a huge country that people at the western end will get to see a rare celestial event tomorrow that won’t be visible in the east. Canada is 5,514 km wide from the Atlantic coast to the Pacific. It is the second largest country in the world.
On Wednesday, January 31, 2018, the moon will be closer than average to the earth. It will be one of those rare second appearances of a full moon in a month, called a blue moon. And there will be a total eclipse of the moon when the earth moves between it and the sun and casts a shadow over it. It’s called a super blue blood moon.
This is the first time this collection of events has happened in over 150 years and it will not happen again until 2037.
Lunar eclipse is safe to watch
Unlike an eclipse of the sun, an eclipse of the moon can be viewed with the naked eye. That is if there is no cloud cover and you are in the right place. Otherwise it can be seen online.
The moon will change colours during the eclipse. The colour could vary between bright orange and deep red. The hue depends on sunlight traveling through the dust in the upper atmosphere in the same way that it does with sunsets.
People on Canada’s Pacific coast will get to see high tides too.
At the same time, people on the Pacific coast will be able to see some of the largest tides of the year. That is, if they are willing to get out of bed. The viewing starts at 2:51am in the western city of Victoria. Residents of Toronto will be able to see the partial eclipse beginning at 5:51. Those who are east of Quebec province will have to watch on the internet.
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