Blood-orange Total Lunar Eclipse to Darken Four Corners Before Sunrise

A blood-orange moon slid into total eclipse over the Four Corners predawn sky and disappeared over the western horizon at sunrise, offering local viewers 58 minutes of totality from 4:04 to 5:02 a.m. Mountain Time. Local weather spotter Jim Andrus described what Cortez residents saw as, "It will be a gorgeous blood moon eclipse in the lower western sky until it disappears over the western horizon at sunrise."

The eclipse was visible across large parts of the Americas, and observers on the American, Asian and Australian continents also rose to watch the moon enter total eclipse. Totality began at 4:04 a.m. Mountain Time and lasted until 5:02 a.m. Mountain Time, giving viewers in Dolores County nearly an hour of the red-orange hue created when Earth’s atmosphere casts light onto the moon during totality.

Clouds were a factor around the region but not widespread. National Weather Service forecaster Kate Abbott said, "At 4 a.m., the chance of cloud cover blocking the sky in Cortez is 20%," and added that that percentage is "similar around the Four Corners" while cloud likelihood "increases to the northeast." Abbott advised that in Colorado, "The better chances will be as south and west as you can get in Colorado," and cautioned observers that "It might be one of those things where you get a peak in between those clouds that are passing through."

Andrus, who monitors local sky conditions, urged neighbors to set alarms and look skyward. He said, "I normally wake up at that time so I’m certainly going to be looking out my bedroom window at least," and added, "Let’s hope we can get a clear sky tomorrow before sunrise." Andrus also noted the event’s scarcity for U.S. watchers and encouraged folks to take the early-morning opportunity because the next total lunar eclipse visible in the United States will not occur until late 2028.

Safety and viewing enhancements were straightforward: NASA guidance reminded the public that unlike a solar eclipse, a lunar eclipse can be viewed safely with the naked eye, and recommended finding a dark environment and using binoculars or a telescope to enhance the experience. For local photographers and amateur astronomers in Dolores County, the low western position of the moon and the pre-sunrise timing meant planning around horizon obstructions and early starts was key.

The predawn spectacle left communities from Cortez to the surrounding Four Corners countryside with a clear, time-stamped memory: 4:04 to 5:02 a.m. Mountain Time produced a blood-orange moon setting into sunrise, and observers will wait until late 2028 for a similar total lunar eclipse visible from the United States.