LOOK UP! There is a deep partial lunar eclipse tonight. This is *almost* a blood moon and total lunar eclipse because, at the max eclipse, 93% of the Moon's diameter will be inside Earth's dark shadow, called the umbra. So while it will not be completely covered, there will be a noticeable darkening of the Moon.
There will be a rusty, coppery tint along the covered edge. The image below gives you an idea of what it will look like...
The eclipse will start around 10:30 Thursday evening for the Eastern Time Zone. It will continue to get darker until about 12:15 a.m. Friday. The eclipse ends around 2 a.m.
But what about the forecast? Nothing worse than clouds ruining the show! The cloudcast across all of Northeast Ohio will be partly cloudy, with variable clouds. For example, around 10 p.m., a few clouds are expected to be hanging around our south region but exiting by midnight. Meanwhile, closer to Cleveland Metro and the Snowbelt, clouds will be trying to move in shortly after midnight along with a couple of downpours. These downpours will slowly sink farther south.
Even though there is this chance for downpours, I think it is still worth heading outside to look! You can scroll through the images of Futurecast to get an idea about cloud cover this evening and into tonight.
A lunar eclipse is a slow burn and less exciting than a total solar eclipse, like what we experienced back in 2024, but still very cool! Unlike a solar eclipse, a lunar eclipse is safe to watch with just your eyes. Binoculars or a small telescope can give you a closer view of Earth's curved shadow moving across the Moon. If you take any photos of the Lunar Eclipse, we would love to see them! Send them to Weatherpics@wews.com.
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