February 20 - 21

North and South Americans will have a ringside seat for a Total Eclipse of the Moon. The eclipse will be visible for the Eastern two-thirds of the United States and all of South America.

The eclipse magnitude is 1.111, with a total phase of slightly less than an average duration of 51 minutes. Each lunar eclipse is slightly different. The exact blend of reds and oranges vary depending upon how much dust we have in our atmosphere at the time and  how deeply  the Moon enters the umbra of the shadow. The Moon will pass through the  southern portion of the Earth’s shadow, which means the lower edge  will probably glow orange or red, while the upper part of the Moon should be shaded with a dark gray or chocolate hue.

Here is the timetable. The Moon will enter penumbra at 7:35pm, Moon enters umbra at 8:43pm; Total eclipse begins at 10:00pm; Middle of eclipse at 10:26pm with the total eclipse ending at 10:51pm. All of this takes place on February 20th. Finally, the Moon leaves umbra at 12:09am and the penumbra at 1:17am on February 21st.

This will be our last total  lunar eclipse for almost three years. So, be sure to find your spot for the best visibility and bring the family along. This will be a treat.