perigee moon

Total lunar eclipse? Uh, not this time.

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This map shows where the May 26, 2021 lunar eclipse is visible. Contours mark the edge of the region where the eclipse will be visible at the times when the Moon enters or leaves the umbra (the part of the Earth’s shadow where the Sun is completely hidden) and penumbra (the part where the Sun is only partially blocked). Credit: NASA’s Scientific Visualization Studio.

They say timing is everything and, with eclipses, that is certainly true. Unfortunately, timing will not be in our favor for viewing the Wednesday, May 26 total lunar eclipse. Earth’s Moon will be dipping very close to the horizon as morning twilight brightens hiding the most colorful portion of the event — totality — when Moon turns shades of copper and red. The subtle penumbral eclipse as Moon enters Earth’s outer shadow and will likely be even harder to see than usual. The partial phase of the eclipse begins as Moon enters the dark inner portion of the shadow cone and is easily spotted under other circumstances. Even the partial eclipse begins so late with Moon so close to the horizon that only a lucky few Ohioans will see any part of it.

Penumbral Eclipse beginsMay 26 at 4:47 a.m.
Partial Eclipse beginsMay 26 at 5:45 a.m.
Total Eclipse beginsMay 26 at 7:11 a.m.
Maximum EclipseMay 26 at 7:18 a.m.
Eclipse Timings — Eastern Daylight Time — Northeastern Ohio

The good news? Lunar eclipses can occur only at the time of a Full Moon and this event features a perigee Moon — our natural satellite at a particularly low portion of its orbit around Earth — appearing just a bit bigger and brighter than average. “Low”, in this case means 221,880 miles out. So, if skies allow, get out and enjoy the big, brilliant Full Moon tonight — it’s a natural wonder in its own right.

Visibility of the total phase in the contiguous U.S., at 11:11 UTC. Totality can be seen everywhere in the Pacific and Mountain time zones, along with Texas, Oklahoma, western Kansas, Hawaii and Alaska.

Still want to watch the eclipse, even though we can’t see it from here? Just do an online search for live eclipse viewing opportunities or tune in to your favorite morning TV news show; they’ll be broadcasting from the West Coast or Hawaii where the eclipse can be properly seen!

Don’t despair, dear moonwatcher! Come this November 19, in the wee hours of the morning, we will be in an excellent position to see a nearly total lunar eclipse from our own backyards! More on that at a later time!

Best chance to see the January 31 lunar eclipse? On TV or online!

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2007 Total Lunar Eclipse. Photo by James Guilford.
2007 Total Lunar Eclipse – Photo by James Guilford

A total lunar eclipse will take place in the pre-dawn hours of January 31 but interested viewers in Northeastern Ohio are not well-favored! Weather conditions predicted for Wednesday morning are poor (mostly cloudy, at best) and the timing of the eclipse event itself works against us; at best we would see only a portion of the partial phase before our Moon sets!

Our best bet for watching this total lunar eclipse will be to view it on television or via streaming video. NASA Television and the agency’s website will provide live coverage of the celestial spectacle beginning at 5:30 a.m. EST. Weather permitting, the broadcast will feature views from the varying vantage points of telescopes at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California; Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles; and the University of Arizona’s Mt. Lemmon SkyCenter Observatory. You can access the live NASA broadcast via some cable television services, or online through NASA’s Moon webpages.

If skies do clear enough to see the Moon from our area, here’s a timetable for significant points in the upcoming eclipse as viewed from the city of Oberlin — the timing would be off only by a few seconds viewed from other areas of Northeastern Ohio.

Table giving Timing of January 31, 2018 Total Lunar Eclipse - Credit: TimeAndDate.com
Table giving Timing of January 31, 2018 Total Lunar Eclipse – Credit: TimeAndDate.com

This eclipse event is getting special attention because it offers the rare coincidence of three lunar events: A “supermoon,” a “blue moon” and a total lunar eclipse at the same time. A “supermoon” occurs when the Moon is closest to Earth in its orbit (at or near perigee) and appears about 14 percent brighter than usual. As the second Full Moon of the month, this Moon is also commonly called a Blue Moon, though it will not be blue in appearance. The “Super Blue Moon” will pass through Earth’s shadow and take on a reddish copper to deep-red tint. The eerie colors of totality seen during lunar eclipses frightened the ancients but delight us!

The last total lunar eclipse occurred Sept. 27-28, 2015. The next total lunar eclipse visible across North America will occur January 21, 2019.

The January 31 eclipse is the third in a series of supermoons in December 2017 and January 2018. Watch the Supermoon Trilogy video.

Tonight’s Moon deserves a look

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Photo: Nearly Full Perigee (aka "supermoon") - November 13, 2016, 5:52 PM. Photo by James Guilford.
Shortly After Rising: Nearly Full Perigee (aka “supermoon”) Moon – November 13, 2016, 5:52 PM

We’ve said it before, usually too much is made of so-called “supermoon” occasions; they happen with fair regularity and have little astronomical significance, and an astrologer invented the term.

Supermoons are also known as perigee Full Moons — times when Earth’s Moon reaches its full phase and the low point in its orbit (closest to Earth) at the same time. Our Moon is on an elliptical orbit that carries it nearer and farther from Earth, the distance constantly changing as it travels along its path. Perigee Full Moons, because they are somewhat closer to Earth, mean the Moon looks bigger, brighter, and will have an increased influence on ocean tides.

Tonight’s Full Moon, however, may just deserve the supermoon moniker: it will be the closest Full Moon since 1948, floating 221,524 miles (356,509 km) away. We won’t have another perigee Full Moon so close until 2034.

Technically, the Moon reaches perigee (low point in an orbit) tomorrow morning. According to an article from NASA, “The biggest and brightest Moon for observers in the United States will be on Monday morning just before dawn. On Monday, Nov. 14, the moon is at perigee at 6:22 a.m. EST and “opposite” the sun for the full moon at 8:52 a.m. EST (after moonset for most of the US).” The farthest our Moon traveled from us this year was to an apogee (high point of orbit) of 252,688 miles on October 31.

Tonight’s Moon will be brilliant, as it is every time it reaches Full, but many folks won’t really notice the 14 percent larger appearance and 30 percent difference in brightness. Still, the interest is good and our amazing and beautiful nearest neighbor in space deserves the appreciation!