The night of January 20, extending after midnight into Jan 21 there will be a total lunar eclipse well positioned for us in Raleigh. The moon will start fading away by 10pm and will then be cast in a reddish hue as the total lunar eclipse begins at 11:41pm. The moon will be fully eclipsed until 12:43am and then take about two additional hours to exit the Earth’s shadow.
RAC does not have a public event planned for the eclipse as it can be seen from anywhere with a view of the sky without an optical aids (no binoculars nor telescope required!). However, Morehead Planetarium is holding an event at the sundial in Chapel Hill
For more information about the eclipse, click here: https://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/lunar/2019-january-21
| Event | Raleigh Time |
|---|---|
| Penumbral Eclipse begins | Jan 20 at 9:36:29 pm |
| Partial Eclipse begins | Jan 20 at 10:33:54 pm |
| Full Eclipse begins | Jan 20 at 11:41:17 pm |
| Maximum Eclipse | Jan 21 at 12:12:14 am |
| Full Eclipse ends | Jan 21 at 12:43:15 am |
| Partial Eclipse ends | Jan 21 at 1:50:39 am |
| Penumbral Eclipse ends | Jan 21 at 2:48:02 am |
Bonus Points: Lunar eclipses are sometimes called “Blood Moons” because of the reddish color observed during the total eclipse. Why does the moon turn red?
