By Janet Cruz

Weather permitting, Lake Havasu City residents may be able to view a lunar eclipse taking place tonight through March 14 and even get a glimpse of a blood full moon.

“There is an eclipse of the moon tonight and it peaks at midnight. There is a lot of information about it online. No special equipment needed to view it,” said Lake Havasu City Astronomy Club Member, Barbara Thompson.

When special events in the skies take place, astronomy clubs locally and around Mohave County say they enjoy teaching the public about it.

“Learning about our skies is done through direct viewing with a telescope and also reading and researching contemporary articles,” said Marjorie Duffy, President of the High Desert Astronomy Club In Kingman.

According to Duffy, lunar eclipses occur every six months when the moon is in its full moon phase and they can be viewed anywhere on the night side of the earth.

Lunar eclipses differ from solar eclipses and are astronomical events that occur when the moon moves into the earth’s shadow which causes the moon to darken.

Photo courtesy High Desert Astronomy Club Kingman AZ Facebook

If weather permits and skies clear, the eclipse will be visable in the evening. Some tips from the Lake Havasu City Astronomy club include to watch the skies in a very dark area if possible.

“One of the topics we like to emphasize is that it is beneficial in many ways to maintain as dark an environment as possible, not only for the pleasure of seeing the stars, but for the many health benefits that are now becoming evident,” said Thompson.

Photo Courtesy Lake Havasu Astronomy Club

If  you do happen to miss the eclipse,  local astronomy clubs are a great way to learn about future eclipses and other occurances in the skies.

For more information for the Lake Havasu Astronomy Club, call 928-302-1155 or email Barbara Thompson at bat_drafting@frontiernet.net. Club members meet monthly at the Mohave Community College Library-Lake Havasu Campus.

To reach the High Desert Astronomy Club in Kingman, contact President Marjorie Duffy at 310-345-8513, or email Secretary Sharon Needham at secretary@hdac-az.com for membership please contact the club for membership information. The club meets monthly at Kingman Regional Medical Center.