We have a splendid opportunity to see a total lunar eclipse this January. It will be taking place late on a Sunday night into the early hours of Monday morning. That Monday is also Martin Luther King, Jr. Day here in the USA, so many schools will not have classes that day. Eclipse timings are given in the above graphic, in Universal Time. Converting that to the various USA time zones:
| Event | Pacific | Mountain | Central | Eastern |
| Partial eclipse starts | 7:34 pm | 8:34 pm | 9:34 pm | 10:34 pm |
| Total eclipse starts | 8:41 pm | 9:41 pm | 10:41 pm | 11:41 pm |
| Total eclipse ends | 9:43 pm | 10:43 pm | 11:43 pm | 12:43 am |
| Partial eclipse ends | 10:51 pm | 11:51 pm | 12:51 am | 1:51 am |
Usually the real eclipse visibility starts to take place late in the penumbral phase approaching the first contact of the umbra. If you have not seen a lunar eclipse before, it is quite a special event. The moon will appear to have a charcoal chunk missing from it as the eclipse progresses. Deeper into the eclipse, the moon will take on a rusty red hue caused by the sunlight passing through the earth’s atmosphere before arriving at the moon. Telescopes are not required, as one can see the whole event easily with the eye. Binoculars and telescopes will offer a nice closeup view. Photography of the event is a relatively simple affair. A good tripod and telephoto lens will work well with the moderate shutter speeds required. Tracking is not needed. An example of a series of photos I took of the last total lunar eclipse is below. The camera was a Nikon D7000 with 200mm telephoto on a tripod. Click for a larger image.
