Do you have plans tomorrow in the wee hours of the morning? If not, early risers should try sticking their heads out a window tomorrow morning at around 4:44am, when a partial lunar eclipse will temporarily darken the night sky in Chicago.
A lunar eclipse occurs when the moon enters the earth's shadow, an event that happens roughly two to five times a year (here's an animation of how the process works). For tomorrow's spectacle, approximately 56 percent of the moon's diameter will be covered by the earth's shadow, according to a release from Adler Planetarium; for best results, cast your gaze toward the southwest end of the horizon to see the moon slide into shadow for about 45 minutes. For obvious reasons, you may have better luck trying this from an open space like a field or parking lot rather than a residential street crowded with buildings.
Unlike the western United States and other parts of the world, we won't be treated to views of the total lunar eclipse (also called a blood moon, thanks to its reddish tint), which has been dubbed the "Super Flower Blood Moon" because the moon will be in its closest approach to earth and look larger than normal.
You can learn more about the lunar eclipse process—plus best practices for viewing—via the Adler Planetarium's public observing program Sky Observers Hangout: Lunar Eclipses Explored, which will air tonight (May 25) at 7pm. Not itching to get up early this week? Add another celestial event to your calendar on June 10, when a partial solar eclipse will be visible from Chicago.