MONTANA: 'Super Blood Moon' Lunar Eclipse Sunday Night

Keep your fingers crossed for clear weather this weekend because the first lunar eclipse of the year is going to happen. It's going to be a Super Blood Moon eclipse and yes, it's supposed to be visible in Montana.

First things first: When is the eclipse going to happen? "The partial eclipse begins Sunday, May 15th at 8:28 p.m. Mountain Time. The Blood Moon will peak May 15th at 10:11 p.m. Mountain Time. Then, the event ends at 11:55 p.m. Mountain Time. Note: the penumbral moon phase of the eclipse will begin about an hour earlier and end about an hour after the partial eclipse.

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Viewers in the most western parts of the continental U.S. will have to wait until the Moon rises above the horizon to see the eclipse, which will already be underway.

If you're going to be in the Bozeman area, there is a lunar eclipse viewing party at the Belgrade Senior Center. Set up for the event is happening at 9pm with the eclipse happening "around" 9:30pm.

Earlier in the day, there will be a fun, guided walk for kids around Belgrade where you can learn more about our solar system and play fun games. There might even be astronaut ice cream involved? (See the Facebook Event link above.)

What EXACTLY is a lunar eclipse? According to NASA:

Eclipses can occur when the Sun, the Moon and Earth align.
Lunar eclipses can only happen during the full moon phase, when the Moon and the Sun are on opposite sides of Earth.
At that point, the Moon could move into the shadow cast by Earth, resulting in a lunar eclipse.

The great thing about lunar eclipses is that you obviously don't need to wear protective sunglasses, unlike a solar eclipse. AND, lunar eclipses last much longer than solar eclipses so we have much more time to enjoy them.

TIPS FROM SPACE.COM ON VIEWING A BLOOD MOON ECLIPSE HERE

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