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Longest lunar eclipse of the century is this Friday

By: Mark Johnson

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CLEVELAND — Get ready for a show in the early morning sky on Friday, Nov. 19. It's a very special Lunar Eclipse that should be visible for all of us here in Northern Ohio, weather permitting.

A lunar eclipse occurs when the Earth moves between the sun and the moon, blocking out much of the sunlight from reaching the moon's surface. The moon often appears a deep red or orange color. That's why its often called a blood moon. Friday's eclipse occurs during the annual full beaver moon.

The longest lunar eclipse of the century will begin early Friday when the moon enters the Earth's penumbral shadow. Now, this part you wont really see. The penumbra is the Earth's much less intense shadow. Its not clearly visible to the naked eye. But, at 2:20 a.m., the moon will enter the Earth's umbra, or dark shadow. That's when you'll start to notice that deep red hue on the moons surface. The eclipse will peak at 4:01 a.m. at 97% totality.

Its the longest lunar eclipse because the moon's orbit around the Earth is not perfectly circular. Its elliptical. The moon will be close to its farthest point away in its orbit and will be moving at nearly its slowest speed.

This eclipse will last almost 6 full hours. It will exit the Earth's umbral shadow at 5:46 a.m and will officially end at 7:01 am. Set your alarms!

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