Millions enjoyed the recent total solar eclipse when the new moon passed between Earth and the sun. The second half the current eclipse season occurs Thursday night when the last full moon of summer, the full sturgeon moon, undergoes a deep partial lunar eclipse of 96.3% coverage by our planet’s shadow.
The eclipse begins on Aug. 27 at 9:23 p.m. EDT and ends on Aug. 28 at 3:01 a.m. EDT. You can get eclipse information for your exact location by entering your city at this website.
You can see the eclipse from essentially anywhere but it is best to be away from bright lights. When the moon is deep in the Earth’s shadow, more stars become visible, and it is quite a sight to see the copper-red moon suspended in a vista of stars.
The summer Milky Way will be visible to the right or west of the moon with the constellations of fall taking center stage around the moon.
Weather prospects for the D.C. region Thursday night and overnight include thunderstorms and clouds, unfortunately. The good news is that the eclipse will be livestreamed starting at 10 p.m. EDT so we can tune in if cloudy.
And there may be some breaks in the clouds — avid sky watchers refer to these as “sucker holes” — so it is worth looking. Trust me: Seeing an eclipsed moon among and even in thin clouds can be an awesome sight.
NASA has tips for photographing the eclipse using your smartphone. Camera tips are here.
And be sure to check out WTOP’s next “Eyes to the Skies” on Sept. 1. A lot is happening in September’s skies.
Follow Greg Redfern on his daily blog to keep up with the latest news in astronomy and space exploration.
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