GREENSBORO, N.C. — Did you see it?! A lunar eclipse lit up the sky early Friday morning. If you couldn't catch it, watch the video to see a timelapse of the event.
More about the eclipse:
Who doesn't love a good view of the sky? Well, if you're an early riser, you should be able to get a nice look at the greatest eclipse. The big question is: will the weather cooperate or will it tamper with the view? A partial lunar eclipse is when the Earth moves between the sun and moon, but doesn't form a straight line in space. A small part of the moon's surface is covered by the darkest, central part of the Earth's shadow, and the rest of the moon is covered by the outer part of the Earth's shadow. In order for this to happen, there must also be a full moon.
Late Thursday, a front is expected to cross the area. This front will increase the cloud cover across the area, leading to mostly cloudy skies just after 5 p.m. through midnight. Few light showers will likely accompany the thick clouds, but with the front's passage, the rain should quickly end by midnight. In addition, the clouds should start to break as we transition into Friday. Therefore, the partial lunar eclipse should be visible. The moon is expected to begin to rise at 4:53 p.m. on Thursday. The partial eclipse begins at 2:18 a.m. The full moon will be at its max at 3:57 a.m. The greatest view of the eclipse will be at 4:03 a.m. The partial eclipse ends at 5:47 a.m. Sunrise begins at 7:01 a.m. Moonsets at 7:09 a.m.
From the moment the moon enters Earth’s penumbral shadow, to the moment it leaves, the overall duration of the November 2021 eclipse will be about six hours and two minutes, according to Earth Sky. In addition, Earth Sky also reports this partial eclipse is longer than many total lunar eclipses. The total eclipse of May 26, was about five hours and two minutes, which is roughly one hour less than Friday's upcoming eclipse.
The full moon Friday is known as the Beaver moon or the Frosty moon. It is named for beavers actively preparing for the winter.