Longest partial lunar eclipse of this century is happening early Friday

A view of a total lunar eclipse on Jan. 21, 2019. (Richard Martin-Roberts, 2019 Richard Martin-Roberts)

The longest partial lunar eclipse of the year is happening Friday, and people in all 50 states will be able to view it.

A lunar eclipse is when Earth makes its way between the sun and the moon, so that Earth’s shadow eclipses the moon.

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During the upcoming partial lunar eclipse, happening in the early morning hours Friday, Earth’s shadow will cover 97% of the full moon.

It will be the longest so far this century (or in 580 years), at approximately three hours, 28 minutes and 23 seconds, according to NASA. It will by and far beat the record length of a total lunar eclipse this century, which happened in 2018 and lasted one hour and 43 minutes.

The partial eclipse will begin at about 2:19 a.m. EST (1:19 a.m. CST), reach its max eclipse around 4 a.m. EST (3 a.m. CST) and end around 5:47 a.m. EST (4:47 a.m. CST).

The partial eclipse will be visible from anywhere in the United States, depending on the weather in any given area, so be sure to check your local forecast.


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Dawn Jorgenson, Graham Media Group Branded Content Managing Editor, began working with the group in April 2013. She graduated from Texas State University with a degree in electronic media.