Blood moon 2019: Everything you need to know about the lunar eclipse on January 20

Turn your eyes to the skies on January 20 and behold a total lunar eclipse. “This is the Earth coming in between the sun and the moon, and so the Earth’s shadow actually blocks out the sun,” says Brad Jolliff, the Scott Rudolph professor of Earth and planetary sciences at Washington University. “As the moon orbits around the Earth, the shadow of Earth progresses across the surface of the moon.” Like last summer’s showstopping solar eclipse, the event happens in phases. The penumbral phase is when the Earth’s shadow first starts to partially obscure the moon. Then “you’ll see the Earth’s shadow start to take a bite out of the moon, so to speak,” says Jolliff. When the moon is fully eclipsed, it will be a lovely reddish shade, known as a blood moon. Jolliff explains that it’s the reflected light from sunrises and sunsets here on Earth. Don’t be shy about staring right at the whole show. It won’t harm your eyes, and Jolliff recommends pulling out a pair of binoculars to really enjoy the view.