Dont Miss The Last “Blood Moon” Eclipse of the Decade

Get outside this weekend and catch a glimpse of the full moon, it will be the last total lunar eclipse until 2021.

This weekend, sky-gazers will have the opportunity to witness a rare cosmic event- a super blood wolf moon. If you are a lunar enthusiast you will not want to miss this rare three lunar phenomena. On January 20th, 2019 there will be a supermoon as the moon will be atypically close to the earth. January’s full moon is traditionally known as the wolf moon. In this case, during totality the full moon does not disappear completely, instead it turns a blood red color.

What is a Total Lunar Eclipse?

In a lunar eclipse, the Earth casts a shadow on the moon. This is rare as typically when the moon makes its monthly round about, its orbit is tilted, so it usually glides above or below Earth’s shadow.

Total lunar eclipses occur only during a full moon, and only when the sun, Earth, and moon are precisely aligned so that the darkest part of our planet’s shadow completely blankets the lunar disk.

What Makes the Blood Red Moon- Red?

During the total eclipse, sunlight shining through Earth’s dusty atmosphere is refracted toward the red segment of the light-spectrum before it’s cast onto the surface of the moon. This refracted light causes the lunar disk to go from a gray color during the partial phase of the eclipse to a red-orange color during totality.

Why is it a Super Wolf Moon?

According to the Old Farmer’s Almanac, Native Americans and colonial Europeans named the January full moon the wolf moon, because wolves in the region would purportedly start howling in hunger due to the midwinter food paucity.

This month’s wolf moon eclipse will be even more spectacular because the moon will appear to be slightly larger than usual. The moon will be at perigee about an hour just before the height of the eclipse. This will make the lunar disk appear 13 percent larger and about 16 percent brighter than the average full moon- which is why it is a super moon.

When Was the Last Total Eclipse?

According to National Geographic, the last total eclipse of the moon occurred on July 27, 2018, and was visible across Africa and parts of Asia. This year’s total eclipse will be the first to be seen in its entirety in North America in nearly three and half years. If you happen to miss this one, you will have to wait until May 26, 2021 to get your next chance to see a blood moon.

How Do We See This Lunar Phenomenon?

Most people who live in the Western Hemisphere will be able to see all or part of the eclipse. North America, Central America, and South America should be able to view all the phases of the eclipse.

Unlike solar eclipses, lunar eclipses are safe to watch with your naked eye. Views will vary and if the sky happens to be too cloudy you may not have a view at all.

Do not worry, if the weather does not cooperate or you live in the wrong time zone, you can still watch this amazing phenomena online here.

When is it and What Time?

The eclipse is this Sunday, January 20th. For those of us who live in Patchogue the eclipse will begin about 10:33 EST., starting with the partial eclipse phase, when Earth’s shadow begins to cover the moon. The entire event will last about three and a half hours ending about 1:50 am on January 21st. Totality will last 63 minutes and the moon is expected to be at its most vivid color at approximately 12:12 p.m. EST.

If you live in Patchogue Click here for a detailed timeline of the Blood Moon Eclipse.

To find the timeline for your location Click here.

Brookhaven Supervisor Ed Romaine and Patchogue Village Mayor Paul Pontieri today
were joined by county, town and village officials to lobby for $26.4 million in available funds to extend sewer
projects in Patchogue and in Mastic near the Forge River.

Romaine and Pontieri issued a joint letter to New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, thanking the Governor for his
leadership in providing funding for sewers to protect Long island’s groundwater and waterways and provide an
incentive for economic development. The two officials pointed out that while residents in Mastic and Babylon
approved a recent referendum for sewer projects in their communities, residents in Great River rejected a
similar plan for their area. Romaine and Pontieri wrote in their letter that the $26.4 million earmarked for Great
River could be reallocated to Patchogue and the Mastic project, expanding the environmental and economic
benefit for those areas. Pictured left to right are Patchogue Village Superintendent of Public Works Joe Dean;
Trustees Thomas Ferb and Joseph Keyes; Deputy Mayor Jack Krieger; Mayor Pontieri; Supervisor Romaine;
Deputy Supervisor, Councilmen Dan Panico and Councilman Neil Foley.

“An effective use of the $26.4 million in funds that were rejected by Great River voters would be to partially
fund Phase 3 of the Mastic/Forge River sewer project and to expand sewers in the Village of Patchogue. These
projects are already engineered. A site for a sewage treatment plant on Town of Brookhaven land is available
for the Forge River project. Patchogue has long had its own sewage treatment plant, and both the Mastic and
Patchogue communities (Mastic in a vote just this week), have shown their support for sewers,” they wrote in
the letter.

Supervisor Romaine said, “I commend the residents who voted overwhelmingly to fund Phase 1 and 2 of the
plan to sewer the Mastic Peninsula. But, we must look at the bigger picture to secure the money available that
will allow us to complete Phases 3 and 4 without over-burdening to the local taxpayers. I am confident that the
Governor, Mayor Pontieri and I share the same concerns about water quality and we all recognize Patchogue
Village as a model of how economic growth and protecting the environment can go hand-in-hand. This is a
game changer for the future of Mastic and the Forge river.”

Mayor Pontieri said, “Supervisor Romaine and I stand together in support of the reallocation of the sewer
funding. In the Village of Patchogue, we are currently in the planning stages to sewer over 500 homes located in
environmentally sensitive areas along the Patchogue River and Great South Bay. This will give us the
opportunity to sewer additional homes as well as move ahead with upgrades and future expansion of our sewer
plant. Local economic growth is tied directly into our sewer infrastructure and it is imperative that we continue
to make improvements to our system. I ask the Governor to consider our request, so we can move ahead with
these projects.”

Councilman Panico said, “Brookhaven and Patchogue have always shared a common vision for a cleaner
environment and vibrant economy. We are partners in this effort and value our strong relationship.”
Councilman Neil Foley said, “The Supervisor and Mayor have a history of cooperation to help make the Town
and Village better places to live. I am in full support of their request to the Governor and I expect that he will
give it serious consideration.”

County Legislator Sunderman said, “We are so happy the sewer referendum was successful. This will allow for
economic development in our area as well improve our environment. This was a once in a life time opportunity
and I am very excited to be part of this accomplishment. I’ve already requested to explore the connection of the
Mastic Beach Business District into phases 1 and 2 and have already requested grant funding for phases 3 and 4.
We are looking forward to the start of this project in 2020 and more to come in the future. It would be a great
opportunity to receive additional funding for our already designed project which was earmarked for use in
Suffolk County.