Its not too early to begin making preparations for viewing next months total lunar eclipse. One of things to consider is the Moons location in the sky during the eclipse. For those who live in the western U.S. and Canada this will be an important factor, since the eclipse will already be in progress as it emerges from beyond the east-northeast horizon. Will tall trees or nearby buildings block your view of the Moon?

You can get a very good idea about where the Moon will be in the sky during the eclipse by looking for it on Sunday evening, October 12.

That night, the Moon 2 days past full will be very near to that region of the sky where it will be on November 8 for the eclipse. On October 12, if you add 1 hour and 55 minutes to the times given for the various phases of the eclipse, the Moon will appear in the sky very close to where it will be during the actual eclipse on November 8.

For example: on November 8, for an observer in New York, the total phase of the eclipse will begin at 8:06 p.m. At that moment, the Moon will stand 37 above the east-northeast horizon (your clinched fist, held at arms length is equal to roughly 10).

Now, if you add 1 hour 55 minutes to 8:06 p.m., youll come up with 10:01 p.m. Go outside at that moment on Sunday, October 12, and youll be able to get a fairly good approximation of where the Moon will be in your local sky on November 8 at moment of total eclipse. And indeed, at 10:01 p.m. on October 12, the Moon will be 37 high in the east-northeast sky.

This method will be especially helpful for westerners who might want to determine roughly where the Moon will be relative to their local horizon (and local landmarks) as it rises on eclipse night. Refer to the previous eclipse article for specific times.