A lunar eclipse on April 15 will delight night owls in most of the United States, in areas where it is possible to see the celestial alignment through clouds.
The moon will start to slip into the shadow of the Earth about 12:58 a.m. EDT. The event will produce a total eclipse, or "blood moon."
"The action starts on April 15th when the full moon passes through the amber shadow of Earth, producing a midnight eclipse visible across North America. So begins a lunar eclipse tetrad - a series of four consecutive total eclipses occurring at approximately six month intervals," NASA officials wrote in a press release about the series of celestial events.
Lunar eclipses can be seen without the aid of any special equipment, although a set of binoculars is a perfect addition to any viewing expedition. Binoculars with a large main lens are best for astronomy. It is always best to bring drinks and snacks along while observing eclipses.
Just before the celestial event occurs, the moon will be due south. Over the course of two hours, our planetary neighbor will slip into the shadow of our home world, and then slowly re-emerge. The eclipse will last until 4:33 a.m. Eastern time. Peak viewing (if cloud cover allows) will be around 3 a.m. for the East Coast.
"What is the prophetic significance [of the four blood moons]? Is this the end of the age?" Hagee asked his congregation during a sermon.
The preacher quoted Acts 2:19-20, "And I will show wonders in Heaven above and signs in the Earth beneath, the sun shall be turned into darkness and the moon into blood before the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord."
NASA officials pointed out that nine tetrads will take place during the 21st century.
Meteorologists are predicting a potential smaller disaster for many observers -- cloud cover for much of the mid-Atlantic region of the United States during the eclipse.
The celestial event will also be visible online at the SLOOH Web site. The organization provides a robotic telescope service through the Internet that allows amateur astronomers to view telescopes from their homes.
Blood moon is a term referring to the red light cast on the moon by sunlight refracting through the atmosphere.
Another lunar eclipse will occur on Oct. 8. After that, eclipses will also take place on April 2 and Sept. 28, 2015. All four of the events will be visible over much of the United States.
