Lunar eclipse may be obscured by clouds in North Bay(w/video)

The North Bay will be treated to the year’s second lunar eclipse early Wednesday morning, but an expected layer of low-lying fog could block the view for many in Sonoma County, especially on the coast.

The moon will be entering Earth’s shadow at about 2:15 a.m. on the West Coast, according to NASA. The total eclipse phase will be visible in the Santa Rosa area for about an hour, roughly from 3:27 a.m. to 4:22 a.m.

But, according to the National Weather Service, that is also about the time when a layer of fog is expected to roll in over the North Bay.

“If you’re near the coast, your chance of seeing (the eclipse) is pretty much nil,” said Duane Dykema, a forecaster with the weather service. “It’s going to vary a lot depending on where you are. But if you can get above the marine layer, you’ll be able to see it.”

According to NASA, a lunar eclipse occurs when the moon passes into the Earth’s shadow. A total eclipse can only happen when the sun, Earth and moon are perfectly aligned. The effect gives the moon a reddish glow which has been dubbed the “blood moon.”

For more information about Wednesday morning’s eclipse, go to: eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov.

You can reach Staff Writer Elizabeth M. Cosin at 521-5276 or elizabeth.cosin@pressdemocrat.com.