The weather is cooperaring: How to watch the Lunar Eclipse in Alabama on the evening of May 15

With a little luck tonight, most of Alabama should be able to witness a lunar eclipse beginning Sunday evening on May 15th.

Since the eclipse is happening during a month there is a “supermoon” — when the moon is closest to our planet — it is called a blood moon. The reason for the name?  During totality, the moon will have a faint, reddish glow.

The last total lunar eclipse occurred a year ago, on May 26, 2021. 

The Weather Looks Good in Alabama

Of course, to see the eclipse in all its glory, we need clear weather.  As of noon on May 15th – the forecast looks promising across the state.

Here are the hourly forecasts from the north end of the state to the south during the 5 hour window:

Huntsville – Partly Cloudy – Hourly Forecast

Birmingham – Mostly Partly Cloudy – Hourly Forecast

Montgomery – Cloudy with possible isolated showers – Hourly Forecasts

Mobile – Scattered showers around 8:00-9:00p.m. – Hourly Forecasts

Timeline

If you plan to watch the event, NASA published this handy timeline.

8:32p.m – Penumbral eclipse begins

The Moon enters the Earth’s penumbra, the outer part of the shadow. The Moon begins to dim, but the effect is quite subtle.

9:27p.m – Partial eclipse begins

The Moon begins to enter Earth’s umbra and the partial eclipse begins. To the naked eye, as the Moon moves into the umbra, it looks like a bite is being taken out of the lunar disk. The part of the Moon inside the umbra will appear very dark.

10:29p.m. – Totality begins

The entire Moon is now in the Earth’s umbra. The Moon will turn a coppery-red. Try binoculars or a telescope for a better view. If you want to take a photo, use a camera on a tripod with exposures of at least several seconds.

11:53 p.m. – Totality ends

As the Moon exits Earth’s umbra, the red color fades. It will look as if a bite is being taken out of the opposite side of the lunar disk as before.

12:55a.m – Partial eclipse ends

The whole Moon is in Earth’s penumbra, but again, the dimming is subtle.

1:50a.m. Lunar Eclipse ends

Missing It?

If you do miss it, NASA will be streaming the entire 5 hour event. In fact, one of NASA’s live streams is from Huntsville.

Send Us Your Pics

Calling all photographers!  The Bama Buzz would love to share your photos of the Blood Moon. Tag us on social media @thebamabuzz or send us your favorite pic via email at hello@thebamabuzz .