Upcoming Total Lunar Eclipse: When, Where To Watch In The US

Last week’s total solar eclipse saw millions of people across the country venturing outside to watch the moon pass in front of the sun for part of the day. Some people even traveled to the path of totality to witness the event that rarely happens in the continental United States. Now that he country has caught the eclipse bug, it’s good to know when the next one will be.

In January there will be a total lunar eclipse visible from plenty of spots around the world including the U.S. Although similar to the solar eclipse, it will look better in certain parts of the country than in others.

The total lunar eclipse will occur in the early hours of Jan. 31, 2018, and will be best visible from Alaska, then the second best viewing spot will be West of the Rocky Mountains, according to a map from NASA. This means the total lunar eclipse will also be visible from from parts of Australia, Asia, Europe and South America.

Lunar eclipses occur when the Earth moves between the sun and the moon casting a shadow on the moon. The moon travels through the penumbra as well as the umbra which are the different names for the shadow of the Earth, according to NASA.

The penumbra is the shadow the Earth casts but that does not fully obscure the sun’s light. Then the moon enters the umbra which is where it enters full shadow and is cast in a red glow because of the slight amount of light making it around the Earth to the moon’s surface. The moon looks red because the light from the sun passes through the Earth’s atmosphere that filters the wavelengths of the light, colors with longer wavelengths make it to the moon.

Some areas of the world will get a view of the total lunar eclipse but not all three phases of it this time around. But the eclipse will be at least partially visible from all of the U.S. Those on the East Coast hoping to get a view will have to get up a little early. In New York the penumbral eclipse will start at 5:51 a.m., the partial eclipse will begin at 6:48 a.m. and the actual eclipse during which the moon will be cast in that red shadow will happen around 7 a.m. while the sun rises, according to Time and Date.

The issue in the East is that the sun will rise before viewers have a chance to see the eclipse in totality. Those on the West Coast will be a bit more lucky. For example, those in San Francisco, will see far more of the eclipse including the total lunar eclipse when the moon will appear fully red. They’ll just miss out on the moonset and the end of the penumbral eclipse.

There is no safety equipment like glasses or viewers necessary for viewing a lunar eclipse so you don’t need to worry about eye safety this time around. The next total solar eclipse in the continental U.S. will occur in 2024, and after January the next lunar eclipse in the U.S. will occur in 2019.