ONE MONTH TO GO: Lunar eclipse visible to all North America

ROANOKE, Va. – Between 9:36 p.m. January 20 and 2:48 a.m. January 21, a lunar eclipse will be visible to all North America. As shown above, this is what happens when planet Earth is essentially sandwiched in between the sun and the moon. 

The earth's shadow is cast over the moon, giving it a faint, red appearance.

Let's time that out for you!

The most interesting time of the eclipse will be between about 10:30 p.m. and 1:50 a.m. EST. 

At 10:33 p.m, the partial eclipse begins. This is when the innermost shadow of the earth (the umbra), gives the lower left part of the moon a red hue. 

By 11:41 p.m. on January 20, the earth's shadow will completely take over the moon. 

Whereas totality during the solar eclipse of 2017 only lasted a few minutes, totality during this upcoming lunar eclipse will last for more than an hour. 

As time goes on, the moon will emerge from Earth's innermost shadow close to 2 a.m. on January 21. 

You don't need any special binoculars to see this. The moon will be full and high in the sky for our viewing. 

Also, remember how we had to wear protective glasses during the solar eclipse? We won't have to do that this time around. 

We'll be sure to give you a reminder, as we get closer to the date. In the meantime, bookmark it in your calendar and hope for a clear sky!