Last Total Lunar Eclipse For Years to Be Seen Across the Hudson Valley

Another celestial event is coming, and residents across the Hudson Valley will soon be able to view it. Depending if the weather cooperates, this will be the last time though to witness something like this for years. It is quite an active time for sky watchers and astronomy types, as the Taurid meteors are also expected to pick up in the coming weeks as well.

AccuWeather says that a full total lunar eclipse will be seen 5:16:39 AM Eastern time November 8, as the Moon passes through the Earth's shadow. Total lunar eclipses stand out, as the Moon takes on a dark crimson red (or copper) color, which happens because sunlight reaching the Moon must pass through a long and dense layer of Earth's atmosphere.

ABC says that totality will last nearly almost an hour and a half, from 5:16 to 6:41 AM Eastern time.

When Will the Next Lunar Eclipse Occur?

The next lunar eclipse won't be seen until May 5, 2023. However, that will only be a penumbral lunar eclipse, where  the Moon becomes completely immersed in the penumbral cone of the Earth, without touching our planet's shadow.

The next total lunar eclipse won't be seen again anywhere around the world until March 13, 2025.

The New York Post says there will be a partial solar eclipse early Tuesday, but it will only be visible from parts of Europe, western Asia and north Africa.

Just last week, we saw the Orionid meteor shower, an annual event that takes place as the Earth travels through the left-over remnants of Halley's Comet.]

Did a Small Asteroid Strike Poughkeepsie?

You may remember reports of the bright fireball that was seen all over the eastern part of the country in November 2020. Some outlets, such as the Gothamist, claim the space rock actually crashed somewhere in the area. Hundreds of reports poured in from witnesses all over the east coast at around 7:22 P.M. that evening.

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The American Meteor Society says the fireball's visible light trail ended somewhere over Poughkeepsie, according to the reports they received.

Bright Lights and Fireballs

As of now, there is no actual evidence of asteroids striking here. That doesn't mean it hasn't happened, but there is no "smoking gun" to speak of. Chances are, the fireball simply disintegrated in mid-air. It actually happens a lot more than you may think. Wikipedia says an estimated 15,000 tons of space debris enter the planet's atmosphere every day.

A huge majority never make it to the ground. Many fizzle out or explode in the upper atmosphere without anyone ever hearing about it. Scientists do say a meteor may have exploded high above New York state in late 2019, causing an eerie greenish light to be seen in the sky that night, according to the many reports in the Saratoga area.