Solstice Lunar Eclipse Takes Place Overnight

Something red and bright will be visible overnight. And no, we're not talking about Santa.

A solstice lunar eclipse is expected to begin at 1:33 a.m. Tuesday.

"At that time, Earth's shadow will appear as a dark-red bite at the edge of the lunar disk. It takes about an hour for the 'bite' to expand and swallow the entire moon. Totality commences at 02:41 a.m. EST and lasts for 72 minutes," according to NASA at science.nasa.gov.

"Total lunar eclipses in northern winter are fairly common. There have been three of them in the past 10 years alone. A lunar eclipse smack-dab on the date of the solstice, however, is unusual.

"Geoff Chester of the US Naval Observatory inspected a list of eclipses going back 2,000 years. 'Since Year 1, I can only find one previous instance of an eclipse matching the same calendar date as the solstice, and that is 1638 Dec. 21,' says Chester. Fortunately we won't have to wait 372 years for the next one ... that will be on 2094 Dec. 21," according to the site. 

It won't exactly be clear skies, but the eclipse might create a reddish light over the white blanket of snow. There is a 10 percent chance of snow showers before 7 p.m. Monday in metro Detroit with mostly cloudy skies and a low temperature around 19 that night, the National Weather Service reports.

So, will you step out of the warm confines of your home to catch a glimpse of this celestial sight?