Early risers on Wednesday morning, May 26, 2021 will be treated to a total lunar eclipse hanging low in the western sky.
This lunar eclipse will be better situated for observers in the western half of the U.S but that doesn’t mean you should scratch it off your list just because you are in the eastern half of the county.
The upcoming eclipse is very reminiscent of the total lunar eclipse of January 31, 2018. Why? The timing for one. The 1/31/18 TLE started very early in the morning and was setting as twilight was coming on and totality was waning as is this one. Additionally, both eclipses happen around lunar perigee (the point where the Moon is closest to Earth in its orbit). At this time the Moon is slightly larger in the sky. You’ll sometimes hear this referred to as a “super moon,” a term I don’t like to use.
One big difference between the two eclipses is the length of totality, the point where the moon fully enters the darkest part of the Moon’s shadow called the Umbra. The eclipse happening on May 26th just skirts the inner edge of the Umbra rather than taking a deep dive and thus totality only lasts 15 minutes. Those in the DFW area will see totality start at 6:11 a.m. and end at 6:26 a.m. The Moon sets just 4 minutes later so that gives you an indication of just how low on the horizon totality will occur.
If you are up early and the weather cooperates be sure to take a look at the Moon that morning. It should make for a beautiful photo op. Just remember that the meat of this eclipse happens low on the horizon and to ensure you have an unobstructed view of the western horizon for the best view.
Here’s a list of the key events for this eclipse for the DFW area provided by timeanddate.com
Duration: 2 hours, 42 minutes, 22 seconds
Duration of totality: 14 minutes, 28 seconds
Penumbral begins: May 26 at 3:47:39 am
Partial begins: May 26 at 4:44:58 am
Full begins: May 26 at 6:11:26 am
Maximum: May 26 at 6:18:42 am
Full ends: May 26 at 6:25:54 am
Moonset: May 26 at 6:30:01 am
Partial ends: Moon below horizon
Penumbral ends: Moon below horizon
**Times shown in local time (CDT)
Clear skies,
Scott