Longest Partial Lunar Eclipse is Coming this Week

The longest Partial Lunar Eclipse in nearly 600 years will grace the night sky late Thursday night and early Friday morning across the entire country, weather permitting. According to NASA, the eclipse will be three hours and 28 minutes long, which is the longest partial eclipse of this century and the longest in 580 years.

For U.S. East Coast observers, the Partial Lunar Eclipse begins a little after 2 a.m. Friday, reaching its maximum at 4 in the morning. For observers on the West Coast, that translates to the beginning just after 11 p.m. Thursday, with a maximum at 1 a.m. Friday.

All you need is to be able to wake up and get out there, along with a coat to keep warm during the chilly November night.NASA said that Partial Lunar Eclipse might not be quite as spectacular as total lunar eclipses – where the moon is completely covered in Earth’s shadow – but they occur more frequently.

At maximum eclipse, the moon’s face will be 97% covered by the deepest part of the Earth’s shadow and will probably turn a deep red, Indiana’s Holcomb Observatory said. This leaves behind only a tiny, silvery sliver of the moon’s southern edge peeking out, according to the American Astronomical Society.November’s full moon is traditionally known as the Beaver Moon, Space.com said, as beavers are preparing for winter, hence this month’s event’s Beaver Moon eclipse moniker. This is the last lunar eclipse of the year.