The lunar eclipse will be visible in Chicago late tonight. The best time to view will be between 1:18 a.m. CT and 4:47 a.m. CT<\/b>
\nCHICAGO (WLS) — The longest partial lunar eclipse in 600 years will be visible in Chicago tonight. Right now, the forecast calls for partly cloudy skies. Those in the Midwest can see the full moon eclipse between Friday at 1:18 a.m. CT and 4:47 a.m. CT, the longest partial lunar eclipse since 1440, according to ABC7 meteorologist Larry Mowry. Anyone in the U.S. under clear skies should be able to see the celestial show, as it will be visible throughout the entire North American continent, along with Australia, New Zealand, eastern Asia and part of South America. Click here for your local forecast. At most,97% of the moon will be covered in darkness. The celestial body will reach maximum eclipse at 3:02 a.m. CT, and this will be the best time to peak at the night sky. The moon will take on a reddish\/brown hue around the peak viewing time. Lunar eclipses happen when the moon enters the Earth’s shadow, putting the sun, earth and moon in alignment. Lunar eclipses only happen on the night of a full moon. November’s Beaver Moon is also a \u00ab\u00a0micromoon,\u00a0\u00bb meaning the full moon disc will appear unusually small in the sky. While this week’s partial lunar eclipse is the longest of its kind in nearly 600 years, July 2018’s total lunar eclipse lasted about 12 minutes longer.<\/p>\n