Lunar eclipse viewing made easier with free SkySafari Lite

If you’re going to grab a look at the total lunar eclipse tonight (actually early tomorrow morning U.S. Eastern Standard Time) we’ve got just the app for you.

The developers who brought you the excellent SkySafari astronomy app are offering SkySafari Lite for free today to help you track the eclipse and learn a little more about it.

What makes the early morning show unique is that it comes at the same time as the Winter Solstice. The last time that happened was 1638, and it won’t happen again until 2094. Expect the Moon to turn reddish in color, and depending on conditions it might completely vanish for at least part of the 72 minutes that it is within the shadow of the Earth.

The eclipse begins at 1:32 AM EST. The entire disc of the Moon will be covered at 2:41 AM and totality, as it is called, ends at 3:53 AM. The Moon will move completely out of the shadow of the Earth by 5:00 AM. If you’re in other time zones, just subtract the correct number of hours for your location.

Gallery: SkySafai Lite