Blood moon provides a beautiful sight over the Upper Peninsula

ISHPEMING — Early risers in the U.P. looking up at the sky between about 5:30 and 6:30 Wednesday morning got a spectacular view.

It’s known as the “blood moon,” but despite the ominous name, it’s really a total lunar eclipse. According to NASA, Wednesday morning’s eclipse appeared about 5.3 percent larger than a similar event in mid–April. This is due to the eclipse happening only two days after perigee, which is the time the moon’s orbit is closest to the earth.

Viewers in Negaunee got a particularly clear view of part of the event, as a scheduled power outage left the city in darkness overnight.