When:

Sunday, May 15 - Monday, May 16, totality begins at 11:29 p.m. EDT (8:29 p.m. PDT)

Where:

Night sky (see overview for notes on visibility)

Target Audience:

General audience

Overview:

Watch one of the sky’s most dazzling shows May 15-16, when the Sun, Earth, and Moon align creating a total lunar eclipse. Weather permitting, the lunar eclipse will be visible in North and South America, as well as Africa, Europe. Remember, unlike a solar eclipse, you do NOT need special glasses to view a lunar eclipse.

Timeline

Viewers in the most western parts of the continental U.S. will have to wait until the Moon rises above the horizon to see the eclipse, which will already be underway, so times are listed in the Eastern and Central time zone.

• 9:32 p.m. EDT (8:32 p.m. CDT) - The edge of the Moon will begin entering the penumbra. You'll likely only notice dim shading (if anything at all).
• 10:28 p.m. EDT (9:28 p.m. CDT) - The edge of the Moon will begin entering the umbra and significant darkening will be noticeable. West Coast viewers, keep your eyes on the eastern horizon for the Moon to rise sometime between 7:20 and 8:40 PDT, depending on your location.
• 11:29 p.m. EDT (10:29 p.m. CDT) - The Moon will be completely inside the umbra, marking the beginning of the total lunar eclipse, also known as totality. Viewers in the most western parts of the continental U.S. will see the Moon rise as totality is beginning. Visibility not so great? Check out the live simulation below:

  This interactive shows a real-time simulated view of the Moon from space. Use your mouse and the controls at the bottom of the screen to move around and explore more of the Moon and the solar system.

• 12:12 a.m. EDT (11:12 p.m. CDT) – The Moon will be halfway through its path across the umbra, marking the moment of greatest eclipse, when the moon turns reddish-orange.
• 12:54 a.m. EDT (11:54 p.m. CDT) - The edge of the Moon will begin exiting the umbra and moving into the opposite side of the penumbra.
• 1:55 a.m. EDT (12:55 a.m. CDT) - The Moon will be completely outside of the umbra and will begin exiting the penumbra until the eclipse officially ends.

Visit the Teachable Moments article at the link below to learn more about each phase of the eclipse, what to expect, what causes eclipses, and the role they play in space exploration.

• 
  Teachable Moment: How to Watch a Total Lunar Eclipse and Get Students Observing the Moon

  There’s no better time to learn about the Moon than during a lunar eclipse. Here’s how eclipses work, what to expect, and how to get students engaged.

Explore More

Educator Guides & Resources

• 
  Observing the Moon

  Students identify the Moon’s location in the sky and record their observations over the course of the moon-phase cycle in a journal.

  Grades K-6

  Time 30 mins - 1 hr

• 
  Make a Moon Phases Calendar and Calculator

  In this lesson, students use their knowledge of moon phases to build a calendar they can use to find out when and where to see each phase of the Moon throughout the year.

  Grades K-12

  Time 30 mins - 1 hr

• 
  Moon Phases

  Students learn about the phases of the moon by acting them out.

  Grades 1-6

  Time 30 mins - 1 hr

• 
  Whip Up a Moon-Like Crater

  Whip up a moon-like crater with baking ingredients as a demonstration for students.

  Grades 1-6

  Time 30 mins - 1 hr

• 
  Evaluating a Lunar Eclipse

  Students use the Danjon Scale of Lunar Eclipse Brightness to illustrate the range of colors and brightness the Moon can take on during a total lunar eclipse.

  Grades 3-12

  Time 30 mins - 1 hr

• 
  When Do Lunar Eclipses Happen?

  Students use a paper plate to make a model that explains why lunar eclipses don’t occur during every full moon.

  Grades 4-8

  Time Less than 30 mins

• 
  Modeling the Earth-Moon System

  Students learn about scale models and distance by creating a classroom-size Earth-Moon system.

  Grades 6-8

  Time 30 mins - 1 hr

• 
  All Moon Lessons for Educators

  Teach students all about the Moon with these standards-aligned STEM lessons for educators.

  Grades K-12

  Time Varies

Student Activities

• 
  Make a Moon Phases Calendar and Calculator

  Like a decoder wheel for the Moon, this calendar will show you where and when to see the Moon and every moon phase throughout the year!

• 
  Look at the Moon! Journaling Project

  Draw what you see in a Moon Journal and see if you can predict the moon phase that comes next.

• 
  Make a Moon Crater

  Make craters like the ones you can see on the Moon using simple baking ingredients!

• 
  When Do Lunar Eclipses Happen?

  Use a paper plate to make a model that explains why lunar eclipses don’t happen as often as you might expect.

• 
  All Moon Activities for Students

  Make a moon phases calendar, moon crater, lunar rover and more with these activities all about Earth's moon.

  Subjects Varies

  Type Varies

Explore More:

• Article for Kids: All About the Moon
• Website: NASA Moon
• Website: NASA Artemis Mission
• Interactive: NASA's Eyes on the Solar System – Earth's Moon

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Events are based on visibility in the Northern Hemisphere. Dates and clock times are for the Eastern time zone unless otherwise noted.