Lunar Eclipse To Be Visible Over Oklahoma

Oklahomans should be treated to a celestial show on the morning of Saturday, April 4, 2015.

It will be a total lunar eclipse.

NASA says the lunar eclipse will be visible from all parts of the United States. The total eclipse will last only five minutes.

According to NASA, this eclipse will be the third in a series of four lunar eclipses in a row, known as a "tetrad." The first in the series occurred on April 15, 2014, with the second in September of 2014. The final will be September 28, 2015.

For a total lunar eclipse to happen, the Moon must be full, which means it is directly opposite the Sun, with Earth in between. The eclipse happens when the Moon moves into the shadow the Earth causes when it blocks part of the Sun's rays. Eclipse don't happen every month because sometimes the Moon is above the shadow, sometimes below.

During an eclipse, the Moon often looks reddish because the sunlight that does shine on it has passed through Earth's atmosphere, which filters out most of its blue light. The eerie effect has earned the nickname "blood moon."

Because the Moon will be full, the eclipse should be easy for Oklahomans to see with the naked eye. News On 6 Meteorologist Dick Faurot says it will be chilly but skies should be clear.

The brief eclipse will reach totality at 7 a.m. Oklahoma time. The sun will rise at 7:09, which will end the eclipse.