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Penumbral Lunar Eclipse Over Bay Area Early Wednesday Morning

SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) – Sharp-eyed stargazers in the Bay Area who are willing to wake up early Wednesday morning will have the opportunity to witness a "penumbral" lunar eclipse.

According to NASA, the full moon will be obscured by the outer shadow of the Earth, also known as the penumbra. The eclipse will peak at 4:48 a.m. Pacific Daylight Time.

Unlike a partial lunar eclipse or total lunar eclipse, a penumbral eclipse is not as easy to spot with the naked eye. People observing from the ground are likely to notice the moon not being as bright as usual.

Stargazers in California, the West Coast, Alaska and Hawaii will have the opportunity to see the eclipse in its entirety, while the rest of the country will only see the darkened moon until the sun rises.

Penumbral Eclipse
Map of penumbral eclipse set for March 23, 2016. (NASA)

Another penumbral eclipse will take place in September, but will not be visible from North America. The next total lunar eclipse visible from California won't take place until January 21, 2019.

Tim Fang is a digital producer for CBS San Francisco and a native of the Bay Area. Follow him on Twitter @fangtj.

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