Here were are, only a week into the new year and we already have a major event to look forward to in a couple of weeks. The first full moon of 2019 is more than just a full moon… it’s a Super Blood Wolf Moon and the first total lunar eclipse of the year all wrapped up into the celestial events occurring on the night of January 21-21, 2019. And the best part? West Virginia will have a front row seat for the show!

So what IS a Wolf Moon? It’s simply the first full moon of the calendar year, and is always at the closest point to Earth as the moon can get. Translation: this is going to be one spectacular total lunar eclipse! In fact, there won’t be another one like it until May of 2021!

Flickr/Joel Tonyan

On the night of Jan 20, right about bedtime, the show will begin as the full moon passes through as series of penumbral phases that occur when the moon is partially shaded by the cone-shaped shadow of the Earth.

Flickr/NASA Goddard Space Flight Center

During the total lunar eclipse you can expect to see our usually bright yellow moon turn a gorgeous shade of reddish orange as the series moves through. The partial eclipse begins at 9:36 p.m. on Jan 20. The full eclipse begins at 11:41 p.m. and lasts one hour and two minutes, before the partial eclipse reappears and is followed by the penumbral series on the other side of the eclipse. Photographers, in particular, will be very excited about the penumbral sequences.

Flickr/Elton Menchick

Weather permitting, the Mountain State will be a prime location for viewing the Full Blood Wolf Moon and the total lunar eclipse on the night of January 20-21. In fact, all of North America is in for a spectacular show.

Flickr/Guy Sie

And the best news of all? You won’t need a special pair of glasses for viewing this eclipse. Unlike the solar eclipse that occurred last year, a lunar eclipse is perfectly safe to watch with the naked eye. See below for exact times for the moon phases, and don’t forget to put a reminder in your calendar so you don’t miss the fun!

Flickr/Matt Binns

In West Virginia, here’s the timeline for this eclipse:

Flickr/Joel Tonyan

Flickr/NASA Goddard Space Flight Center

Flickr/Elton Menchick

Flickr/Guy Sie

Flickr/Matt Binns

  • 9:36 p.m. Jan. 20 – penumbral eclipse begins
  • 10:33 p.m. Jan. 20 – partial eclipse begins
  • 11:41 p.m. Jan. 20 – full eclipse begins
  • 12:12 a.m. Jan. 21 – maximum eclipse
  • 12:43 a.m. Jan. 21 – full eclipse ends
  • 1:50 a.m. Jan. 21 – partial eclipse ends
  • 2:48 a.m. Jan. 21 – penumbral eclipse ends

 

Ever seen an eclipse like this before? We’d love to know – and can’t wait to see your photos from this one. You can share them with us on Instagram with the #onlyinwestvirginia tag!

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