Watch CBS News

Epic Eclipse: Where, When To Watch Super Wolf Blood Moon In LA

(CBSLA/CBS Denver) – Mark your calendar for Sunday, Jan. 20 if you hope to see one of the most epic celestial shows of 2019. Best of all, Southern Californians won't have to stay up late or get up early to view it.

While a large part of the world will see the total lunar eclipse, the best viewing will be in North and South America.

The peak viewing time is around 9:15 p.m. PT. Click here for a list of a detailed viewing times across the Los Angeles area. Simply change the city if you'd like to see times closer to your neighborhood.

TOPSHOT-US-SPACE-ASTRONOMY-MOON
TOPSHOT - The "super blue blood moon" is seen over Los Angeles, California, on January 31, 2018. Many parts of the globe may catch a glimpse on January 31 of a giant crimson moon, thanks to a rare lunar trifecta that combines a blue moon, a super moon and a total eclipse. The spectacle, which NASA has coined a "super blue blood moon." The celestial show is the result of the sun, Earth, and Moon lining up perfectly for a lunar eclipse just as the Moon is near its closest orbit point to Earth, making it appear "super" large. / AFP PHOTO / Robyn Beck (Photo credit should read ROBYN BECK/AFP/Getty Images)

According to Space.com this will be the last total lunar eclipse until May 2021, and the last one visible from the United States until 2022.

Here are some of the best spots in the Southland to view the spectacular display:

  • Griffith Park Observatory, 2800 E. Observatory Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90027
  • Mount Wilson Observatory, 466 Foothill Blvd., #327 La Cañada, CA 91011
  • Topanga State Park, 20828 Entrada Rd, Topanga, CA 90290
  • Malibu Creek State Park, 1925 Las Virgenes Rd, Calabasas, CA 91302
  • Heritage Museum of Orange County, 3101 W Harvard St, Santa Ana, CA 92704
  • Big Bear Solar Observatory, 40386 North Shore Lane Big Bear City, CA 92314
  • Joshua Tree National Park, 74485 National Park Drive Twentynine Palms, CA 92277
  • Yosemite National Park, Yosemite Village, CA 95389

So where does the name Super Wolf Blood Moon come from?

  • Super Moon – when a Full Moon is at perigee, or it's closest approach to Earth
  • Wolf Moon – the name given to the January Full Moon
  • Blood Moon – the reddish tint during a lunar eclipse as sunlight is filtered and refracted by Earth's atmosphere. The exact shade varies based on the particulates in the atmosphere
    A total lunar eclipse and Blood Moon in April 2015. (credit: Denver Astronomical Society member Ron Pearson of Evergreen)
View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.