Fairbanks to see longest partial lunar eclipse in close to 600 years

FAIRBANKS, Alaska (KTVF) - From Thursday evening through very early Friday morning, Fairbanks residents will likely be able to see a partial lunar eclipse in the night sky.

According to the Holcomb Observatory in Indianapolis, the eclipse will be the longest one in 580 years, being visible from several different regions in the world including North America, South America, Eastern Asia, Australia, and across the Pacific Ocean.

According to Kaitlyn Lardeo, Meteorologist for the National Weather Service, the eclipse will be expected to last for around six hours in the Fairbanks sky. “It’s going to span from 9:00 p.m. to 3:00 a.m. with a maximum at midnight tonight. Expect to see the lunar eclipse at 9:00 p.m. in the southeastern sky, then see the maximum in the southern sky, and then see the end of it in the southwestern sky.”

Lardeo also said that for those concerned about the weather, worry not, as it is expected to be clear enough to get a good view of the eclipse. “We are expecting skies to clear out tonight, with just some lingering scattered clouds hanging above tonight - not clear out completely, just a few scattered clouds. It’s very cool to see, especially in Fairbanks in high latitudes - and this is the wintertime, so we have a darker night sky out.”

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