There will be a total eclipse of the moon during the wee hours of the morning of October 8, 2014. You don't want to miss it. If you live in the Idaho Falls area, the eclipse will begin at 3:14 a.m. and will last until 6:35 a.m. If you are from another area, you can find your best viewing times on this website: www.timeanddate.com. Click on the sun and moon tab.
A total lunar eclipse occurs only when the sun, the Earth and the moon are aligned and happens on average once a year.
A total lunar eclipse is cool because as the moon enters the umbra of the Earth (the full shadow) it turns rusty red. This is often referred to as the Blood Moon. It is caused by sunlight that is bent by the Earth's atmosphere to indirectly light the moon.
You don't want to miss this phenomenon. I will explain a little more about lunar eclipses in this week's nature column but since it comes out on Thursday it will be too late.