Total Lunar Eclipse May 15 2022 NASA Animations and Info

May 15 2022

Prime sky show tonight if the weather cooperates. Here is a look at what you can expect and how to view it. I’ve included four NASA animations to show different perspectives of the event, even how it may look if you get to see it.  At the bottom of the post is a Live Stream access that begins Sunday night. 

The location of the moon near perigee will make this appear 7% larger that average. The moon will be passing through the shadow of Earth, so anyone on the planet on the night side of the planet will see it. It is completely safe to view with your naked eyes. 

This is different than a solar eclipse where the shadow of the moon only reaches a small spot on Earth. A solar eclipse is dangerous to view without safety protection. The timing is nearly perfect for most of North America to view tonight.  

It will be nearly directly overhead, so all we need is clear weather and you need to get away from obstructions like trees or tall buildings. 

What You May See (If The Weather Is Clear)

Sky View

Timing:

Penumbral Begins

01:32 UTC = 9:32 PM EDT May 15

Total Eclipse Begins 

03:29 UTC = 11:32 PM EDT May 15

Total Eclipse Ends

04:45 UTC = 12:24 AM EDT May 16

From NASA

The penumbra is the part of the Earth’s shadow where the Sun is only partially covered by the Earth. The umbra is where the Sun is completely hidden. 

The Moon’s appearance isn’t affected much by the penumbra. The real action begins when the Moon starts to disappear as it enters the umbra at about 10:28 p.m. EDT on the 15th. An hour later, entirely within the umbra, the Moon is a ghostly copper color. 

Totality lasts for an hour and a half before the Moon begins to emerge from the central shadow. Throughout the eclipse, the Moon is moving throught the constellation Libra.

NASA Animations

Telescopic View

Shadow View – Telescopic

Snapshot To Save

Global Map

NASA Visualization of viewing of the lunar eclipse on May 15/16 2022 across Earth.

Contour lines mark the edge of the visibility region at the contact times. These are the times when the Moon enters or leaves the umbra (the part of the Earth’s shadow where the Sun is completely hidden) and penumbra (the part where the Sun is only partially blocked). 

For observers located on a contour line, the contact occurs at moonrise (west) or moonset (east).

Live Stream Event

If you can’t get outside OR the weather is obstructing the sky, here is a streaming event with NASA starting at 11 PM Sunday 

Tropical Season Begins June 1

Atlantic Hurricane Forecast

Related Posts

NOAA Study: Reducing Air Pollution INCREASED Tropical Storms

Atlantic Tropical History: Maps of Origin Regions Every 10 Days

*Disclaimer due to frequent questions:

I am aware there are some spelling and grammar typos. I have made a few public statements over the years, but if you are new here you may have missed it:

I have dyslexia, and found out at my second year at Cornell.  I didn’t stop me from getting my meteorology degree, and being first to get the AMS CBM in the Baltimore/Washington region. 

I do miss my mistakes in my own proofreading. The autocorrect spell check on my computer sometimes does an injustice to make it worse. 

All of the maps and information are accurate. The ‘wordy’ stuff can get sticky. 

There is no editor that can check my work when I need it and have it ready to send out in a newsworthy timeline. 

I accept this and perhaps proves what you read is really from me…

It’s part of my charm.