Awesome! A Total Lunar Eclipse Will Be Visible in the Hudson Valley This Weekend

Blood Moon? Flower Moon? Super Flower Blood Moon? No matter what you call it, much of North and South America, including the Hudson Valley, will be treated to a total lunar eclipse this weekend.

Total Lunar Eclipse in the Hudson Valley

It's about time we had another total lunar eclipse. Every time I hear about a cool astronomical event, the first thing I do is check where in the world it will be visible, and I'm usually disappointed. Sure, everyone should have the chance to see celestial marvels like a total eclipse, but I'm a little selfish. Recently I got excited for the partial lunar eclipse back on April 30th, until I learned it would only be visible in the southern hemisphere, near Antarctica. Luckily, not only will this weekend's eclipse be a total eclipse, but we won't have to travel, or stay stay up too late, to see it. Here's the info:

Super Flower Blood Moon Eclipse on May 15th

There are a LOT of superlatives that go into this eclipse. The "blood" moniker comes from the fact that the moon will turn a deep red hue during the event, and "flower" comes from the tradition of naming the full moon in the month of May the "flower moon" in a nod to the spring awakening that's happening in our soil. Again, we'll be lucky enough to see the whole thing. The eclipse will begin at roughly 9:30pm on Sunday May 15th, with earth's shadow completely covering the moon just after 12:00am on Monday, May 16th. Here's how to watch:

Best Way to Watch an Eclipse

The good news is that there aren't the same safety warnings with lunar eclipses that come when it's the sun that's being covered in shadow. Special glasses will be needed to protect your retinas like they are with a solar eclipse, but some magnification could come in handy. An amateur telescope or even a pair of decent binoculars can greatly improve your experience. Also, while not as important as during a meteor shower or a similar star-related event, the darker your environment is, the more you'll be able to see. The Hudson Valley is the perfect area to escape town and city lights and enjoy the eclipse in the middle of a quiet field or hilltop.

Weather this Weekend in the Hudson Valley

The only thing that can stand in our way this weekend is the weather. Currently, Sunday night is predicted to come with clouds and possible rain. The good news is that clear skies are predicted earlier in the day, so hopefully the eclipse is early enough to be visible in the night sky, because it's set to be awesome.

Speaking of awesome events in our skies, check out the partial sunrise eclipse in New York from 2021 below.