NASA
Tonight is the only total lunar eclipse of 2019. You’re likely also wondering when the next partial lunar eclipse will be, along with the next solar eclipse. Find out more here.
First, here is the schedule for tonight’s eclipse below. After that, see when you can expect the next solar and lunar eclipses in the sections following this one.
Tonight, the moon will enter the umbra (the time of significant darkening) at 11:41 p.m. Eastern and begin to exit at 12:43 a.m. Eastern, according to NASA, which is the end of the total lunar eclipse. The moment of greatest total lunar eclipse will be at 12:12 a.m. Eastern (11:12 p.m. Central/9:12 p.m. Pacific.)
Here is the complete schedule for tonight’s eclipse, according to NASA:
- 9:36 p.m. Eastern (6:36 p.m. Pacific, 8:36 p.m. Central): The edge of the moon will enter the penumbra.
- For the next 57 minutes, the moon will dim slightly as it enters the penumbra. You will only notice slight dimming.
- 10:33 p.m. Eastern (7:33 p.m Pacific): The edge of the moon will begin to enter the umbra, which will cause significant darkening. Some say the moon looks like it has a bite taken out of it during this time that gets bigger and bigger.
- 11:41 p.m. Eastern (8:41 p.m. Pacific): The moon is completely inside the umbra, which is the beginning of the total lunar eclipse. (The moon will be looking reddish orange around this time.)
- 12:12 a.m. Eastern (9:12 p.m. Pacific, 11:12 p.m. Central): The moment of greatest eclipse for the moon.
- 12:43 a.m. Eastern (9:43 p.m. Pacific): The edge of the moon begins to exit the umbra and enter the opposite side of the penumbra. This is the end of the total lunar eclipse.
- 1:50 a.m. Eastern (10:50 p.m. Pacific): The moon is completely outside the umbra, and is moving out of the penumbra.
- 2:48 a.m. Eastern (11:48 p.m. Pacific): The eclipse event is over.
And here is when the next lunar eclipse and solar eclipse will take place after tonight:
The Next Partial Lunar Eclipse is in July
The next partial lunar eclipse will be July 16-17, 2019, but this won’t be visible in most of North America. It will be visible in much of Europe, Asia, Australia, Africa, south/east parts of North America, South America, Pacific, Atlantic, Indian Ocean, and Antarctica. But that won’t be anything like tonight’s because it’s just a partial eclipse.
The next beautiful lunar eclipse that comes even close to tonight’s will be in May 2021. But the next full lunar eclipse visible in the U.S. won’t happen until 2022.
The Next Solar Eclipse Anywhere in the World is on July 2, 2019
Today’s lunar eclipse might have also gotten you thinking about the solar eclipse. In a solar eclipse, the moon is between the Earth and the sun, so the moon blocks the sun. If you’re in the path of totality of a solar eclipse, it will get so dark for about two to three minutes that you will be able to see planets in the middle of the day.
The next total solar eclipse will be July 2, 2019. It will be visible in much of South America, the Pacific, and the very southern part of North America. Totality will be visible from the southern Pacific Ocean east of New Zealand, to the Coquimbo Region in Chile, and Argentina at sunset. The maximum visible time will be 4 minutes 32 seconds from the Pacific Ocean. You won’t be able to see it in the U.S.
The next total solar eclipse after that is December 14, 2020. Its path is similar to the eclipse that was on February 26. Like the July 2019 eclipse, this one will be visible from Chile and Argentina.
Then after that, you’ll have to wait until December 4, 2021. This will be an unusual eclipse, with totality moving from east to west across Antarctica. Most eclipses move from west to east.
The Next Total Solar Eclipse in the U.S. Won’t Happen Until April 8, 2024
The next total solar eclipse won’t be visible in the U.S. until April 8, 2024. This one will have a line of totality crossing Texas, through the Midwest, and over Indianapolis, Cleveland, Buffalo NY, over New England, and passing over Maine and New Brunswick, Canada. This will also be the first total solar eclipse visible in Mexico since 1991.
Meanwhile, we won’t see the next coast-to-coast solar eclipse in the U.S. until August 12, 2045.
There will be an annular solar eclipse in the U.S. on October 14, 2023. This occurs when the moon passes between the Earth and the Sun, and the moon’s diameter appears smaller than the sun’s, blocking most but not all of the sun’s light. This makes the sun look like a ring around the moon.