Everything you need to know to see the Wolf Moon Eclipse

2020’s first, and best, of four penumbral lunar eclipses strikes on January 10

2020’s first of thirteen full moons will pass into Earth’s outer penumbral shadow on January 10, 2020, causing the year’s first eclipse.

This lunar eclipse comes precisely two weeks after an annular solar eclipse in the Middle East and Asia, and the moon and sun are still in sync. Eclipses never come alone!

Visible only from Europe, Africa, Asia, and Australia, this penumbral lunar eclipse is not one to get particularly excited about because our satellite will enter only the Earth’s outer shadow. However, if you love watching and/or photographing the monthly rise of the moon, it’s worth observing. During the event the full “Wolf Moon” will lose its brightness and look truly odd for a few hours.

Only those on the night-side of Earth at 5:07 p.m. UTC—Europe, Africa, Asia, and Australia—will see the show. North America must wait until the “Thunder Moon Eclipse” on July 5, 2020 to see something similar.

When to see the ‘Wolf Moon Eclipse’

If you’re in Asia, Australia, Europe or Africa, know that the penumbral lunar eclipse begins at 5:07 p.m. Universal Time and will be at “maximum eclipse” at 7:10 p.m. Universal Time. The event as a whole takes place over about four hours, and it’s Western Europe that’s best-placed for those wanting to watch a “Wolf Moon” rise in the east followed quickly by the beginning of the penumbral lunar eclipse. Here are some times for maximum eclipse; you can convert for your own location/time zone here:

London, U.K.: 7:10 p.m. on January 10
Europe: 8:10 p.m. on January 10
Cairo, Egypt: 9:10 p.m. on January 10
Moscow, Russia: 10:10 p.m. on January 10
Dubai, UAE: 11:10:02 p.m. on January 10
New Delhi, India: 12:40 a.m. on January 11
Shanghai, China: 3:10 a.m. on January 11
Perth, Australia: 3:10 a.m. on January 11

Pic credit: Jamie Carter/WhenIsTheNextEclipse.com