January, 20–21, 2019 - Total Lunar Eclipse

[Queen Esther]

End of June we await the largest lunar eclipse EVER....,

Solar and Lunar Eclipses in 2019

There'll be something for everybody in 2019, with total, annular, and partial solar eclipses — and total and partial lunar eclipses to look forward to.

Up to seven eclipses of the Sun and Moon can take place in one year, though the last time that happened was 1982, and the fewest possible is four. The mix of five events occurring in 2019 is especially interesting, because no two will be alike! There'll be three different types of solar eclipse — one each of partial, annular, and total — along with a total and a partial lunar eclipse.

It's been more than three years since everyone in the U.S. has experienced a total lunar eclipse — the last one was September 27–28, 2015 — and skygazers are hungry for another! As the graphic at right shows, the eclipse will last almost 3½ hours from the beginning of the partial phase at 3:34 UT until it ends at 6:51 UT. Totality lasts 63 minutes, from 4:41 to 5:44 UT.

The timing of this one, with mid-eclipse at 5:12 UT, gives everyone in North America a ringside seat — though it'll be a late night for anyone on the East Coast. As veteran skywatcher Joe Rao notes in Sky & Telescope's January issue, the eclipsed Moon will appear high in a mid-winter sky, and this event occurs on the Sunday night of a 3-day holiday weekend in the U.S. So if it's clear that night, you'll have no (good) excuse for skipping this wonderful celestial event.

The diagram at upper right and the table below show you what to look for and when (UT times are all for January 21st; local times are on the 20th if "p.m." and the 21st if "a.m."):

https://www.skyandtelescope.com/observing/solar-and-lunar-eclipses-in-2019/