Near-total eclipse will be in the sky tonight

You may be able to see an eclipse in the sky overhead starting around 8:30pm tonight, with peak viewing at 11:12pm. That lunar eclipse should be over by around 1am on Friday morning. Roughly 96% of the moon will slide into the darkest part of the Earth’s shadow (sometimes referred to as the umbra). This will create an eerie darkening effect with just a thin sliver of light remaining at the eclipse’s peak.

Christopher Bannan is a meteorologist with the National Weather Service and does warn that cloud cover could be an issue for some in the New Orleans area due to the lingering storms. “There is quite a bit of cloud cover due to the showers earlier today, but there’s a pretty good chance we may not get a lot of redevelopment later today. If we can get those clouds to clear out, it should be a nice night of viewing,” Bannan emphasizes.

For those hoping to take in the rare spectacle, Bannan recommends staying outside for at least 30 minutes before the eclipse, away from any major light sources, in order to let your eyes adjust to seeing better at night. He says viewers should be able to see the moon begin disappearing around 9:33pm this evening, barring any major cloud cover.