It might not be a complete lunar eclipse, however the partial lunar eclipse occurring subsequent week guarantees to be spectacular owing to the massive quantity of shade our planet will forged onto the Moon and its unusually lengthy length.

The lunar eclipse on November 19 could also be partial, however aspherical 97% of the Moon will probably be darkened by Earth’s shadow at peak, so it guarantees to be a elegant expertise. The affected a part of the Moon ought to seem reddish-brown, along with being discernibly dimmer total. The peak of the eclipse will happen at 4:03 a.m. ET on Friday, November 19, however Earth’s shadow will probably be seen for three hours earlier than and after that second.

“With a just thin sliver of the moon exposed to direct sun at maximum eclipse, the rest of the moon should take on the characteristically ruddy colors of a total lunar eclipse,” as EarthSky reports.

Another cool factor about this partial lunar eclipse is its length. The penumbral eclipse, by which the Moon passes by each the inside and outer parts of the Earth’s shadow, will final for six hours and 1 minute, whereas the umbral eclipse, or the casting of the inside shadow, will final for 3 hours and 28 minutes, according to NASA. The Moon will probably be close to apogee (i.e. the Moon’s furthest distance from Earth alongside its orbit) throughout the partial lunar eclipse, therefore the prolonged astronomical present.

EarthSky says the upcoming lunar eclipse would be the longest since February 18, 1440 (appears like simply yesterday) and that one other of this excessive length received’t occur once more till February 8, 2669 (mark your calendars). That’s a stretch of 1,229 years, so hold that in thoughts should you’re on the fence about waking up early.

On that matter, the partial lunar eclipse of November 19 will probably be seen throughout a lot of the globe, together with the Americas, japanese Asia, Australia, and the Pacific Region. For observers in North America, the present will begin shortly after 2:00 a.m. ET (for observers on the U.S. West Coast, which means 11:00 a.m. PT on November 18), with the height occurring simply after 4:00 a.m. ET, NASA says.

The lunar eclipse received’t be seen to observers in Africa, the Middle East, or western Asia, however to not fear—lunar eclipses are likely to occur about twice a 12 months. What’s extra, a complete lunar eclipse is anticipated the night of May 15, 2022.

More: Holy Crap, the Moon Was Struck by a Meteorite During the ‘Super Wolf Blood Moon’ Eclipse.