Impressive ‘Deep Eclipse’ Visible from Hudson Valley in Late August
If you missed this week's eclipse, don't worry. Hudson Valley residents are getting another chance, and this one will be much more impressive.
The partial solar eclipse on Wednesday, August 12 was a bit of a disappointment for local skywatchers. While a total eclipse was visible from parts of Europe, only a tiny portion of the sun was covered here in the Hudson Valley.
Things will be very different when the next eclipse arrives in just a couple of weeks.
Deep Lunar Eclipse Coming to the Hudson Valley
On the night of Thursday, August 27 into the early morning hours of Friday, August 28, the Hudson Valley will be treated to an extremely deep partial lunar eclipse.
At the height of the eclipse, roughly 94% of the moon will be covered by Earth's darkest shadow from our vantage point in New York. Astronomers say the eclipse will look very similar to a total lunar eclipse, with almost the entire moon turning a reddish or copper color while just a small sliver remains brightly illuminated.
It's already being described as an "almost blood moon," and it should be considerably more noticeable than the solar eclipse we just experienced.
When to Watch the Lunar Eclipse in the Hudson Valley
The entire event will last more than five and a half hours, beginning Thursday evening and continuing into early Friday morning.
The first faint shading will begin at around 9:23pm on August 27. This is the penumbral portion of the eclipse, when the moon enters the lighter outer part of Earth's shadow. At first, you may have trouble noticing anything unusual.
Things get much more interesting at around 10:33pm, when the moon begins entering Earth's darker shadow. From that point on, you'll be able to watch the shadow slowly creep across the moon.
Maximum eclipse occurs at approximately 12:12am on Friday, August 28. At that point, almost the entire moon will be darkened, with most of it expected to take on a copper or reddish-orange color. The moon will be high enough in the southern sky to provide a good view throughout the Hudson Valley.
The partial eclipse will end at approximately 1:51am, with the final faint portion of the eclipse wrapping up around 3:01am.
How to Watch the August Lunar Eclipse
Unlike Wednesday's solar eclipse, you won't need eclipse glasses or any special equipment.
A lunar eclipse is completely safe to look at with your naked eyes. Binoculars can make the colors and details of the moon more dramatic, but they're certainly not necessary.
You also don't need to travel anywhere special. As long as you have a reasonably unobstructed view of the southern sky and the weather cooperates, the eclipse should be visible throughout Dutchess, Orange and Ulster Counties.
Light pollution isn't nearly as big of a problem when viewing the moon as it is for meteor showers and other nighttime events. That means you should even be able to watch from your driveway or backyard.
If you don't want to stay outside for the entire five-hour event, the best plan is to start watching sometime after 11pm on Thursday and stick around until shortly after midnight.
By 12:12am, the Hudson Valley should have a front-row seat to one of the most dramatic lunar eclipses we'll see for quite some time.
Sun's Out, Shades On: A Look Back at Eclipses Through the Ages
Gallery Credit: Meg Dowdy
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