Partial lunar eclipse will be longest in centuries
The longest partial lunar eclipse in centuries is expected to be visible over Arizona early Friday morning.
A eclipse will happen when the full moon moves into the Earth’s shadow, gradually turning the lunar body a dark orange, sometimes called a “blood moon.” The whole process takes about six hours. But the eclipse will be noticeable about 12:30 a.m. Friday Arizona time, reaching maximum coverage about 2 a.m. and ending about 3:45 a.m., according to NASA.
That’s good news for insomniacs. “Try to time your insomnia for the greatest eclipse — right around 2 a.m. — that’s when the moon will look its most colorful,” said Adam Block, an astrophotographer who works for the University of Arizona.
You can also watch the eclipse on the internet live, beginning at 12:15 a.m. Arizona time on Friday at Lowell Observatory’s YouTube channel.
Lunar eclipses happen when the sun, Earth and moon align so the moon passes into Earth’s shadow. The moon takes on a red color because the only sunlight reaching it passes through Earth’s atmosphere. The more dust or clouds in the Earth’s atmosphere, the redder the moon appears, according to NASA.
While astronomers are referring to this one as a partial eclipse, in reality about 97% of the moon will pass into the Earth’s shadow. At maximum eclipse, you likely will see a sliver of white moon.
This year’s partial eclipse is being billed as the longest partial eclipse since the 15th century because the moon will be at apogee — its most distant point from Earth — in its orbit and will take longer to go through Earth’s shadow. This won’t happen again until Feb. 8, 2669.
Lunar eclipses happen a few times a year. But they aren’t always visible from all over the world. This eclipse is expected to be visible over North America and large parts of South America, Polynesia, eastern Australia, and northeastern Asia.
“You want to always take advantage of these opportunities” to see an eclipse, Block said.
Best of all, you don’t need special equipment to see the eclipse. Just your eyes or a pair of binoculars.
Unlike meteor showers, you don’t have to worry about moonlight interfering with your ability to see a lunar eclipse because the moon is the star of this show.