Want to See the Lunar Eclipse in San Diego? Rise Early Wednesday and Hope for Clear Skies

A rare total eclipse of the full moon, during which Earth’s natural satellite will turn a reddish color, will be visible for 15 minutes early Wednesday morning if local weather permits.

The eclipse begins at 2:45 a.m. Pacific Time and reaches totality between 4:11 a.m. and 4:26 a.m.

“Totality can be seen everywhere in the Pacific and Mountain time zones,” according to NASA.

The National Weather Service office in San Diego is predicting low clouds and fog along the coast and inland, though skies should be clear over the mountains and deserts.

During the eclipse the moon turns a coppery red as it enters Earth’s shadow. The color is often likened to blood, a fact that has led to religious prophecy and superstition.

Since this eclipse will occur when the moon is closest in its orbit and appears largest in the sky, a popular term for the event is a “super blood moon.”

The last total eclipse visible locally was in January 2019, when the first full moon of the year — “a super blood wolf moon” — was seen by many residents despite clouds. An eclipse in

January 2018 was widely seen in clear early evening skies.

Join the 20,000+ people who get Times of San Diego in their inbox at 8 a.m. every day – plus breaking news alerts. And we've recently added weekly updates from San Diego neighborhoods –

select community news below.