ILLUSTRATION BY STUART FUNK
As the sun sets and twilight fades on the evening of May 15, the moon will rise in the east. On this night, the moon will crest the horizon as it begins to enter the central portion of the Earth’s shadow — the umbral portion. The darker shadow will increasingly cover more it.
Eventually, the moon will completely enter the umbra for a total lunar eclipse. Totality will last for almost an hour and a half, from 8:28 p.m. to 9:53 p.m. Then, a partial eclipse will continue for another hour after totality ends.
Each month, Rancho Mirage Library and Observatory astronomer Eric McLaughlin spotlights a notable celestial event. For information about the observatory, visit ranchomiragelibrary.org.
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