When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission.A rare atmospheric effect called selenelion could briefly let skywatchers see the rising sun and a blood moon at the same time. . | Credit: Created in Canva ProThis year’s first lunar eclipse on Tuesday, March 3, offers a rare chance to see a strange celestial sight traditionally thought impossible: the rising sun and the eclipsed moon in the sky at the same time.Views of the total phase of this eclipse favor locations near and around the Pacific Rim. For North America, places within the Eastern Time Zone will see the moon set during dawn’s early light during the total phase; places farther west will be able to catch the moon emerging from the Earth’s shadow as it sets, while for sites out in the Far West, the eclipse will be visible from start to finish. Hawaiians will see the moon almost overhead as totality takes place in the hours after midnight. Meanwhile, during local evening hours, Central Asia and western Australia will see the moon rise as it emerges from the Earth’s dark shadow. Eastern Australia, Papua New Guinea, as well as much of Japan and eastern Siberia, will see it all during convenient evening hours.AdvertisementAdvertisementThe moon passes through the southern part of the Earth’s shadow, with totality beginning at 3:03 a.m. PST and lasting 59 minutes. Across the eastern half of the United States and Canada, there will be a chance to observe an unusual effect, one that celestial geometry seems to dictate can’t happen. The little-used name for this effect is a “selenelion” (or “selenehelion”) and occurs when both the sun and the eclipsed moon can be seen at the same time.You can stay up to date with everything lunar eclipse in our lunar eclipse live updates blog.Seeing the impossibleBut wait! How is this possible? When we have a lunar eclipse, the sun, Earth and moon are in a geometrically straight line in space, with the Earth in the middle. So, …
