NASA Interview Opportunity: Watch A Red Moon Dance Across The Sky THIS Friday

Quick Summary
Get ready to watch the Moon turn red! Friday morning on March 14 everyone throughout North and South American, western Europe and Western Africa will get to experience a total lunar eclipse.
Eclipse happens on Pi Day! Pi - 3.14 - is a mathematical constant that, among other things, helps astronomers calculate how much of the Moon will be covered by Earth’s shadow during this eclipse.
NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) is currently gathering detailed data of the Moon to help scientists and astronauts better understand its surface and get ready for the return of astronauts to the moon with the Artemis program.

Key Times on March 14 (all times Eastern):
1:09 am EST - Partial eclipse begins
2:26 am EST - Total eclipse begins (Moon turns red!)
3:31 am EST - Total eclipse ends
4:47 am EST - Partial eclipse ends

Interview Details:
One-on-one NASA expert interviews are available Thursday, March 13 from 6 a.m. - 1 p.m. EST for TV, Podcast, Radio, and Print
Please fill out this form to request an interview slot:https://forms.gle/WvYegfwRmbQwmYzi6
Requests sent via the above form will have scheduling priority. Please do not email requests.
For more information see:
science.nasa.gov/moon
@NASAMoon

Set your alarm, grab a blanket and step outside next Friday morning to watch our majestic Moon turn red. On March 14th starting at 2:26 a.m. ET our Moon will dazzle skywatchers as it slips completely into Earth's shadow and a reddish hue falls across the entire lunar surface. This is an event you don’t want to miss! Find out how your viewers can see the blood red Moon with the naked eye next week.

A total lunar eclipse happens when the Earth is perfectly aligned between the Sun on one side and the Moon on the other. With the Moon in Earth’s shadow, all of the sunrises and sunsets around the world are projected on the lunar surface causing it to turn red for about 65 minutes. Unlike a solar eclipse where you need safety glasses to watch, you can watch this eclipse without special eyewear!

The Moon is a constant in our sky, but there’s so much we’re still learning about our nearest neighbor. Eclipses provide an interesting opportunity for scientists to learn more about how the lunar surface reacts to the rapid temperature swings. But the decreased sunlight also presents a challenge for solar-powered satellites like NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) and other equipment on the lunar surface.

All eyes to the Moon as we usher in a new era of lunar exploration! NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter continues to capture our Moon in unprecedented detail, and the beginning of a lunar economy is taking root with two different commercial cargo deliveries of NASA hardware to the lunar surface in the past two weeks.

Suggested Anchor Intro:
It's not every day we can see a glowing red Moon. Tomorrow morning, on PI day no less, take a moment to look up at the night sky and take in the magnificent sight of our Moon, Sun and Earth aligning, causing our Moon to turn red. Here to tell us more about the lunar eclipse that is visible across North America is NASA expert xxxx.

Suggested Questions:
It's not often that Earth is positioned precisely between the Moon and Sun, what happens during this alignment that gives us a lunar eclipse?
How can our viewers see this eclipse? Do we need any special equipment?
NASA has a mission that’s orbiting the Moon right now that’s taking incredibly detailed images and data of our nearest neighbor for almost 16 years. What have we learned from LRO about our Moon?
This is an exciting time to be studying the Moon with LRO and NASA’s initiative working with private companies to deliver NASA cargo to the Moon. What are you most excited for in this new era of lunar exploration?
How are observations from LRO helping to pave the way for astronauts to live and work on the Moon with NASA’s Artemis campaign?
Where can our viewers learn more about our Moon and how to view this eclipse?

Questions for longer interviews:
The eclipse happens early tomorrow morning on PI Day! What is PI and how does it help astronomers and mathematicians predict a lunar eclipse?
Is there any data that the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter has collected that will help other NASA missions like the Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) in the future?
How do you prepare a solar-powered spacecraft like the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter for an eclipse?
Why don’t eclipses occur more often?
What defines a partial lunar eclipse from a total lunar eclipse, and why is today's Moon red?
How do the missions on the surface work through the eclipse?

See the following sources:

• https://science.nasa.gov/moon/
• https://science.nasa.gov/mission/lro/