Sunday January 20 2019

The good news is that the sky will be clear for most of our region to view the Super Wolf Blood Moon Lunar Eclipse tonight. That is a mouthful, but this sky show does have a few names. The Wolf Moon is the name for a full moon in January as wolves are known for howling in the long nights. The blood moon is the color of a total lunar eclipse. This is the first and only total lunar eclipse of 2019. So you might want to stay up late and watch it.

Let’s get this out of the way first: The winter storm has moved out and the flash freeze did not produce much ice locally. The cold wind are here and guaranteed to get worse tonight. The weather will justify the Wind Advisory and Wind Chill Advisory all during prime viewing of the sky show.

Safe To See

Unlike a solar eclipse, there will be no harmful rays to hurt you. This is OK to view with the naked eye. The rest of you will want to bundle up for sure. The weather is posted below. There are also tips for photographing the event, but I can imagine the cold air and wind might present a challenge to photographers.

Eclipse Timing

The fact that this is a super moon means it is closer to earth and will spend a longer time in the shadow. This will make this a pretty long duration event.

Start of Partial Eclipse: 10:34 PM

This is when the moon will appear to go through the phases. First growing dark portions. But eventually transitioning from dark to blood red. This is due to the light from the sun going around Earth’s atmosphere and filtered through.

Total Eclipse Time: 11:41 PM to12:44 AM

12:12 AM = Peak Color
Total duration will be 1 hour and 4 minutes of blood red color

End of Partial Eclipse: 1:51 AM

Total Eclipse Time = 3 hours and 17 minutes

Best Show On Earth

We are in a great location for this lunar eclipse as it will be occurring around midnight making it at the mid point of the sky. That means it will be in the mid portion of the sky and likely no obstructions, even if you are in the city.

The best location would be in the warmer tropics, but as you can see on the global view, the entire east coast and Caribbean have it pretty good.

Eclipse Weather

Clearing Sky – As the storm departs we will have dry air dominate most of our region. The only exceptions will be in the mountains where snow showers may remain over the ski resorts.

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Temperatures And Wind Chill

How BADLY do you want to see this? For most, the view will be fine from home while looking out the window, or a quick jump outside. But if you plan to remain outdoors and allow your eyes to adjust to the darkness for the bess results, seriously BUNDLE UP

Wind Advisory: Gusts 40 to 50 mph

The combination of Wind Advisory and Wind Chill Advisory will be overlapping t viewing time. The strong winds may make it difficult to keep a tripod secured.

The reason for a tripod might help with long exposures or for background comparisons: See was an epic display in Dallas in 2015

What a timelapse of lastnights lunar eclipse and red moon over the city of Dallas… 10min timelapse amazing!!! pic.twitter.com/zdv0Nml27A

— Mick Malone (@ffmick) September 28, 2015

Locally we have had some photographers showcase the fruits of their labor with a collage. Nicole DeAngelo sent this one to me from October 2014

How To Photograph The Lunar Eclipse Video

Here are some tips for taking the best moon photos

If you get good photos, please make sure to share them with me on social media. Make sure to let me know your handle on Twitter or Instagram so I can tag them and send more people your way.

Good luck and stay warm!

Please share your thoughts, best weather pics/video, or just keep in touch via social media