Total Lunar Eclipse 3:09 AM To 6:49 AM CST

We will have a Total Eclipse of the Full Moon Tuesday morning. A Lunar Eclipse occurs when the Full Moon slips into the Earth's shadow. You won't need any special equipment to watch the eclipse. I can be easily seen naked eye. Binoculars or a low power telescope may enhance the view some. You will want to be outside and locate the moon by 3:00 AM CST. The moon is in the Constellation of Aries so look to the WEST about halfway up in the sky.

The moon will begin to enter the Earth's UMBRA Shadow at 3:09 AM Look for a small "Bite" on its top left corner. Over the next hour the moon will continue to slip deeper into the Earth's shadow. Totality begins at 4:09 AM when the moon is fully in the shadow. The moon will take on a orange or reddish hue during totality. This is caused by our atmosphere bending the light of all the sunrises and sunsets along the Earth's rim. At mid-Eclipse 4:59 AM it may be a bit hard to locate. Look about 20 degrees up in the west. Totality lasts from 4:09 AM to 6:41 AM

If you aren't up to watch the whole event. Be sure to be outside by 3:50 AM so that you can locate the moon before Totality begins. Or you can go out at 4:50 AM and watch until Totality ends. But it will be harder to locate due to its low altitude in the west.

You'll need a good view toward the western to watch the end of the partial phase. The Moon eclipse ends at 6:50 AM just before the moon sets at 7:01 AM

Your Cell Phone should take some decent pictures if you zoom in a bit and brace it on something stable.

Location

Here are some Websites about Lunar Eclipses
Shadow and Substance animations
Video explaining how a lunar eclipse occurs

The illustration times are from a 2004 eclipse.