The subsequent full moon on the calendar after this month’s October ninth Hunter’s Moon comes on November eighth. As well as, there can be a bonus that day: A total eclipse of the moon.
For viewers within the Americas, this shady drama will occur within the early morning hours of Tuesday, Nov. 8. Alongside the Atlantic Seaboard the moon’s entrance into the darkish umbral shadow of Earth will happen about an hour earlier than daybreak breaks. Alongside the Pacific Coast, first contact with the umbra comes simply over an hour after midnight with the moon simply previous its highest level within the sky.
It’s not too early to start making preparations for viewing subsequent month’s total lunar eclipse. One among issues to think about is the moon’s location within the sky throughout the eclipse. For many who stay alongside the East Coast of the U.S. and Canada this can be an essential issue, since initially the eclipse can be descending from some extent about one-quarter up within the western sky. Will tall timber or close by buildings block your view of the moon?
Associated: Lunar eclipses 2022: When, where & how to see them
You will get an excellent concept about the place the moon can be within the sky throughout the eclipse by in search of it on Tuesday morning, Oct. 11.
On that day, the moon — 1.5 days previous full — can be very close to (inside a few levels) to that area of the sky the place it can even be on the morning of November eighth for the eclipse. On the morning of Oct. 11, in case you test the instances given within the desk under, the moon will seem within the sky very near the place it is going to be throughout the precise eclipse on Nov. 8.
| EDT | CDT | MDT | PDT | |
| Eclipse begins | 6:24 a.m. | 5:24 a.m. | 4:24 a.m. | 3:24 a.m. |
| Totality begins | 7:30 a.m. | 6:30 a.m. | 5:30 a.m. | 4:30 a.m. |
| Totality ends | Moon under horizon | 7:55 a.m. | 6:55 a.m. | 5:55 a.m. |
| Eclipse ends | Moon under horizon | Moon under horizon | 8:03 a.m. | 7:03 a.m. |
For instance: on Nov. eighth, for an observer in New York, the total phase of the eclipse will start at 5:16 a.m. At that second, the moon will stand 13 levels above the horizon, 9 levels north of due west. (Your clenched fist held at arm’s size is roughly equal to 10 levels.) Now, have a look at the above desk. Discover that the corresponding time for the start of the total phase is 7:30 a.m. on Oct. 11. Step exterior at that second and you’ll get a reasonably good approximation of the place the moon can be for New Yorkers on Nov. 8 when totality begins.
By the way, on Oct. 11, it is going to be daytime, nonetheless, the moon ought to nonetheless be readily seen in opposition to the blue daylight sky. In distinction, on Nov. 8, the sky can be a lot darker, the break of daybreak having occurred a couple of quarter hour earlier.
This technique can be particularly useful for these close to and alongside the East Coast who may need to decide the place the moon can be relative to their native horizon (and native landmarks) because it units on eclipse morning.
Area.com can be offering extra particulars in regards to the Nov. 8 lunar eclipse early subsequent month, so keep tuned!
Joe Rao serves as an teacher and visitor lecturer at New York’s Hayden Planetarium (opens in new tab). He writes about astronomy for Natural History magazine (opens in new tab), the Farmers’ Almanac (opens in new tab) and different publications. Comply with us on Twitter @Spacedotcom (opens in new tab) and on Facebook (opens in new tab).
