Note: The time of the partial eclipse in the video is supposed to be 10:33 p.m., not 9:33 p.m. Our apologies.
New Jerseyans who stay up late Thursday night could see the Moon turn a dramatic reddish-orange — if the clouds cooperate.
A deep partial lunar eclipse will take place Thursday night into early Friday morning, with 96.2% of the Moon’s visible surface covered by the darkest part of Earth’s shadow at its peak. That puts this eclipse exceptionally close to becoming a total lunar eclipse.
The eclipse begins subtly at 9:23 p.m. Thursday, when the Moon enters Earth’s penumbra, or faint outer shadow. At first, the difference may be difficult to notice.
The show becomes much more obvious beginning around 10:33 p.m., when the Moon starts moving into Earth’s umbra, its darker central shadow. From there, an increasingly large portion of the Moon will darken and take on shades of red, orange or copper.
Maximum eclipse arrives at approximately 12:12 a.m. Friday, when roughly 96% of the lunar disk will be immersed in the umbra. Only a thin portion of the Moon will remain brightly illuminated.
The reddish color happens because sunlight passing through Earth’s atmosphere is filtered before reaching the Moon. Blue and violet wavelengths scatter more readily, while more red and orange light makes it through the atmosphere and reaches the lunar surface.
The Moon will then gradually move out of the shadow. The partial eclipse ends around 1:51 a.m., while the final, much more subtle penumbral phase continues until about 3:01 a.m.
Will NJ actually see the lunar eclipse?
That’s the bigger question.
Unfortunately, the weather may not cooperate. A warm front moving through the region Thursday is bringing widespread showers and thunderstorms, along with plenty of cloud cover. The National Weather Service in Mount Holly says the warm front will be followed closely by a cold front Friday, keeping the region unsettled.
That means many parts of New Jersey could have clouds blocking the Moon during at least portions of the eclipse. However, any breaks in the clouds around midnight could provide a window to see the eclipse near its peak.
Unlike a solar eclipse, no special eclipse glasses are needed to safely look at a lunar eclipse.
And if the clouds win Thursday night, New Jersey will get another shot at an even bigger event in a few years: the next total lunar eclipse visible from the Garden State is June 26, 2029.