[ad_1]
The first full moon of 2021 rises this week.
January’s full moon, known as the Wolf Moon, will reach its full phase at 2:16 p.m. on Thursday, January 28. We won’t see it until it gets up at 5:07 p.m. (and even then the Lehigh Valley weather forecast a mostly cloudy sky), but it can peak through clouds until ‘he goes to bed at 8:07 am Friday.
Eleven more full moons will follow this year, including three supermoons in a row, a blue moon and a few eclipses to see.
2021 supermoons
Spring 2021 will see at least a few successive supermoons. Some outlets say there will be two supermoons in April and May. Others also include the full moons of March or April.
The definition of a super moon is inaccurate, but generally it is a full moon which occurs when the moon is at the closest point in its orbit or near the Earth. The moon on these nights will appear slightly larger and brighter than other full moons, although the difference is only slight for casual observers.
A super moon rises over Phillipsburg, New Jersey as seen from Easton, Pa. On March 9, 2020. There will be two to four super moons in 2021, depending on how strict the definition is.Steve Novak | For lehighvalleylive.com
Blue moon 2021
This year will see a blue moon on August 22, at least according to one definition. This is a seasonal blue moon, the third of four full moons in a season.
It’s different from the Halloween 2020 blue moon, which was the second full moon in a month. Both definitions are based on timing – the moon does not actually appear blue in either case.
A near-full super moon rises over Route 22 in Bethlehem on April 6, 2020. There will be a seasonal blue moon in August 2021.Steve Novak | For lehighvalleylive.com
Lunar eclipses 2021
Our region has a chance to catch parts of two lunar eclipses in 2021.
First, a total lunar eclipse will occur on the morning of May 26, when the moon passes through Earth’s shadow, giving it a red tint. Since it is also a super moon, some may refer to the May full moon as a blood super moon. Only the beginning of this eclipse will be visible in the eastern United States in the wee hours of the morning.
There will also be a partial lunar eclipse for the full moon of November 2021. Anything but a moon shard will pass through the darkest part of the Earth’s shadow, so it may appear red again. It will all happen in the early hours of November 19.
Sophia Nelson, 4, from Allentown, watches a solar eclipse on August 21, 2017 at the Da Vinci Science Center as her mother, Simone, holds her eclipse glasses in place. Part of a solar eclipse could be visible in the Lehigh Valley on June 10, 2021.Steve Novak | For lehighvalleylive.com
2021 solar eclipse
Like lunar eclipses, our region has a chance to see part of a solar eclipse. A solar eclipse occurs when the moon appears to be passing in front of the sun. Special glasses or equipment are needed to see one safely.
Early in the morning of June 10, the moon will block about three-quarters of the sun’s face as it rises and will last here for about an hour. The main path of the eclipse crosses Canada and the Arctic.
Names and dates of the full moon 2021
Each of the common full moon names comes from Native American traditions and other sources. They refer to the weather, wildlife, or season at the time, according to The Old Farmer’s Almanac. Here are the dates and times for each.
(Can’t see the calendar? Click here.)
Meteor Shower Calendar 2021
If you are looking at the sky you will want to keep an eye out for meteor showers. These predictable events occur as the Earth passes through streams of debris from comets and other objects.
Some showers are stronger, some are weaker and sometimes some surprise us with big blasts of activity. Typically, meteor showers are best seen early in the morning in a location away from city lights, where you can lean back for an hour or more with a wide view of the sky. Viewing also depends on the weather and moonlight.
The meteor shower schedule below is based on information from the American Meteor Society.
(Can’t see the calendar? Click here.)
NOTE: The bad day of the week for the wolf moon was included in an earlier version of this story. The days indicated are correct.
Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to lehighvalleylive.com.
Steve Novak can be reached at [email protected].
[ad_2]
Source link