This week the Sun , Earth , and Moon will come together in near - perfect alinement , creating a partial lunar eclipse as Earth ’s shadow falls on the Moon . It may not be as showy as a total eclipse , but it will be the retentive fond occultation in 580 years , the the likes of of which wo n’t be seen again for another 648 years .

occur the nighttime of November 18 - 19 , the fond occultation will peak at 4:03 am ET , when 97 percentage of the Moon will be covered . The occultation will be visible for three hours on either side of this to anyone in North and South America , Australia , the Pacific part , and part of Europe and eastern Asia .   Although not totally compensate , with just a sliver of Moon visibly reflecting the Sun ’s Inner Light , the rest of the Moon will seem a reddy - brown just like a total lunar occultation .

fond lunar eclipses fall out proceed the Earth movement in between the Sun and a full moonshine but they do n’t quite line up dead . A small part of the Moon ’s surface is cover by the inner ( darkest ) part of Earth ’s apparition , the umbra , while the rest of the Moon is get across by the outer part of Earth ’s shadow , the penumbra . In this case , the umbral eclipse will last for 3 hours and 28 minutes   — the longest of the one C   — while the penumbral eclipse , when the Moon passes through both inner and outer parts of Earth dark , will last for a whopping 6 hours and 1 bit .

This will be the longest fond lunar eclipse since February 18 , 1440   — around the timeMachu Picchuwas being built   — and Earth wo n’t see another of this duration until February 8 , 2669 , so you wo n’t on the dot be able-bodied to tell your grandkids you experience it , but you’llknow .

Luckily , you do n’t need any specialist equipment to look at a lunar occultation . Unlike a solar occultation , it ’s totally good to reckon at without protective eyewear or filters , should you require to employ a telescope or field glasses .

As common , Time and Datewill be able-bodied to tell you the exact timing of the umbral and penumbral eclipse establish on your location . If the sky is too cloudy or you do n’t fancy sitting out in the coldness , theVirtual Telescope Projectwill be live streaming it , as willTime and Date .

And if you miss all this completely , do n’t worry , there will be a total lunar eclipse to attend forward to in May 2022 .