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ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Set your eyes on the sky Thursday because the moon will be putting on a show. A deep partial lunar eclipse is happening Aug. 27-28. The moon will be passing through the Earth’s shadow. The eclipse is expected to last more than four hours, so you are sure to catch a glimpse of the red moon even under a partly cloudy sky.
Jim Bader, the director of the Strasenburgh Planetarium, says eclipse viewing from anywhere around New York state begins at 9:23 p.m., with the partial phase starting at 10:33 p.m. and the peak arriving at about 12:12 a.m.
"This is one of those moments where you have a lot of people who normally wouldn’t be interested in space or astronomy get interested in space and astronomy, and that also is a gateway for them to get interested in science,” said Bader. "Lunar eclipses are just a cool opportunity for people to get outside and see something change in the night sky, in real time."
Bader says to find a spot with a clear view of the southeastern sky, away from bright city lights. Unlike a solar eclipse, a lunar eclipse is safe to watch with your eyes. Binoculars or a telescope can bring out even more detail.
"We get to see a beautiful red moon, and it doesn’t take much in terms of wild calculations to be able to predict that, so I think that it is really awesome,” said Bader.
The next celestial event that New Yorkers will see is Feb. 20-21, 2027, for a penumbral lunar eclipse.