Night Owls (or Early-Risers) will have the opportunity to see some cool stuff in the sky this weekend.

Just before dawn on Saturday, December 10th, the west coast will be treated to the second total lunar eclipse of the year. The moon will pass through the earth’s shadow, making it look large and reddish-brown, with a total eclipse occurring around 6:06AM PST and lasting about 50 minutes.

In addition to the lunar eclipse, you may also be able to see a selenelion – an unusual event when an observer can see both an eclipsed moon and a rising sun at the same time.

The forecast for Friday night – Saturday morning looks mostly clear, so you may want to set your alarm for a nice early morning hike – maybe to somewhere with a view like Echo Mountain, Mount Wilson, Sandstone Peak or Sunset Peak.

Here’s a short video from the guys at NASA with a little bit of science for your Thursday afternoon:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SKtNgD45OB4[/youtube]

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by Casey Schreiner

Founder and Editor of Modern Hiker, Author of "Day Hiking Los Angeles." "Discovering Griffith Park," and "Cloud Spotting." Walking Meditator, Native Plant Enthusiast.