What to expect during Saturday's partial lunar eclipse

... not much.

This partial lunar eclipse will be best viewed from the opposite side of the Earth. Here in the Carolinas, and along most of the east coast, we'll see only the final moments of the penumbral portion of the eclipse at moonrise.

Earth, like any other solid body, casts two shadows. The central, darker umbra casts a reddish-orange color on the surface of the Moon during partial and total lunar eclipses.  

The penumbral shadow surrounding the umbra is significantly brighter than the umbra.  Even under the best conditions, it is challenging to see much of a difference during a penumbral lunar eclipse.

Saturday's eclipse will be visible from Asia, the Middle East, most of Africa, and all of Europe.  Here in the United States and Canada, only the New England states will see any of the partial eclipse.  Even then only a tiny portion of the Moon's southeastern limb will graze the umbra.

The eclipse will be well underway before moonrise across most of the east coast. Only the last 6 minutes of the penumbral portion of the lunar eclipse will happen above the horizon for Raleigh.  You won't really notice any difference.

The sky will still be pretty bright with the setting but still visible Sun on the opposite horizon. You'll also be looking through nearly 40 layers of atmosphere.  Dust particles along with moisture in the air are already giving the Moon an orangy color.

The next lunar eclipse will occur on Mar 25, 2024, at a time when the Moon is higher in the sky for us, but will also be of the less impressive penumbral variety. We have to wait until March 13, 2025 for the next total lunar eclipse visible from Raleigh.

The next solar eclipse will be on April 8, 2024 where nearly a quarter of the Sun will be eclipsed by the Moon from Raleigh, and totally eclipsed along a path stretching into Texas from Mexico extending along a line into the Great Lakes into Northern Maine and the Canadian Maritimes.