Partial lunar eclipse to be visible over Long Island
A lunar eclipse over Centereach at about 1:20 a.m. on Jan 21, 2019. Credit: Newsday / Thomas A. Ferrara
A reddish, coppery moon is expected to emerge across night skies over Long Island.
The deep partial lunar eclipse, when the Earth’s shadow conceals a significant portion of the moon, can be seen on Long Island starting at 9:23 p.m. on Aug. 27, according to TimeandDate.com. Roughly 95% of the moon is set to be hidden by the Earth’s shadow when the phenomenon hits its peak around 12:00 a.m. the following day.
Jeffrey Katz, a member of the Hamptons Observatory advisory board, said the occurrence will look almost like the Pac-Man game.
“More and more chunks of the moon will be eaten away as the Earth’s shadow comes over the moon,” he said in a phone interview. “And once the shadow is fully covering the moon, you get the moon getting very dim but deeply orange.”
The near-blood moon comes in part from the way sunlight is scattered across Earth’s atmosphere and eventually shines onto the lunar body, said Simon Birrer, an assistant professor of observational cosmology at Stony Brook University.
Although our sunlight seems white, it is made up of lights of various colors, according to NASA. So for instance, during sunrise or sunset, the skies may appear to be reddish because blue light is scattered off, leaving red light to permeate, scientists said.
In the case of this partial lunar eclipse, this red light is expected to pass through the Earth's atmosphere and illuminate the moon, giving it a reddish glow, experts said.
“So, you see a red, dark moon with a teensy, teensy bit of direct sunlight on the ... side,” Birrer said in a phone interview.
To catch the celestial spectacle, Long Islanders should aim to be in places where it is darker and has little cloud cover, scientists said. Other than that, the eclipse can be viewed by the naked eye, unlike solar eclipses, which can damage the retina of the eye.
“If it's a clear sky wherever you are staring up, the moon should be rather high up in the sky, visible from almost everywhere,” Birrer added.
Tiffany Cusaac-Smith is a general assignment reporter for Newsday. She previously worked at USA TODAY and is an alum of Howard University.
Out East Show: Westhampton Beach Brew & Grille, Hallockville Museum Farm Bees, North Fork Foodie Tour, Southampton Animal Shelter Foundation NewsdayTV's Doug Geed is heading 'Out East' to showcase the ultimate local spots you need to explore.
Out East Show: Westhampton Beach Brew & Grille, Hallockville Museum Farm Bees, North Fork Foodie Tour, Southampton Animal Shelter Foundation NewsdayTV's Doug Geed is heading 'Out East' to showcase the ultimate local spots you need to explore.
