The Uintah Basin needs to keep its eyes to the skies because a total eclipse of the moon is almost here. According to Patrick Wiggins, NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassador to Utah, the last lunar eclipse visible in Utah happened January 2017 but was clouded out for most of the state. The next one will be in May of 2021 so the eclipse
due this Sunday
is a prime opportunity. The conditions that create an eclipse of the Moon occurs when the Sun, Earth and Moon form a straight line and the Moon hides in Earth’s shadow. It is often called a Blood Red Moon but Wiggins notes there’s really no way to say beforehand what color the Moon will be during totality. “For Utahns, the Moon will start to move into Earth’s shadow about
8:34 pm
when it’s about one third of the way up the eastern sky”. The moon will reach totality (when the Moon is completely covered by Earth’s shadow)
at 9:41pm
, then starts to emerge from the shadow
at 10:43pm
. So,
this Sunday January 20th
, look to the sky. Wiggins adds that “unlike eclipses of the Sun, which require special safety precautions, eclipses of the Moon are perfectly safe to observe with just the naked eye. So stare all you want, and maybe even howl if you feel like it”. For a list of all eclipses visible from Utah through 2025, visit
utahastro.info
.
