Editor's Note: Wednesday's eclipse was the first total lunar eclipse viewable from Florida since 2004.
For a show that requires no reservations or tickets, people can look up to the sky to witness a total lunar eclipse tonight.
At about 8:30 p.m., viewers can begin to see the full moon change colors and brightness as it enters Earth's shadow, said Howard L. Cohen, UF associate professor emeritus of astronomy.
This "near-perfect" eclipse is special to Florida because it is the first time since 2004 that residents can see the complete duration of a total eclipse, Cohen said.
The next occurrence will be December 2010.
SFCC will host a free viewing open to the public from 8 p.m. to about 12:15 a.m. that will begin in its astronomy laboratory in Building X.
At 8:43 p.m., when the moon is predicted to enter Earth's darkest shadow, visitors can watch the eclipse from the SFCC parking lot off North Road, where telescopes will be available, or at the astronomy lab through a live NASA webcast, said SFCC astronomy professor Sally Hoffman.
Hoffman, who created the event, said the webcast will show a detailed image of the moon.
Cohen, a founding member of the Alachua Astronomy Club, said telescopes and binoculars enhance the view but are not necessary.
People will want to pay attention to the colors of the moon, he said. The moon can become copper, deep red, orange or even have a bluish tint. The atmosphere scatters sunlight into the shadow, which is why the moon is visible and usually colorful during an eclipse.
