What is a lunar eclipse?
A lunar eclipse is one of the most spectacular sights the night sky has to offer. As the Moon slips into Earth’s shadow, the normally pale white Moon is turned a deep shade of red, and it can stay that way for a long time.
Lunar eclipses can be either partial or total, just like solar eclipses, and they only occur during one phase of the moon: the full moon.
What is a lunar eclipse?
As opposed to one solar eclipsewhere the moon falls between the earth and the sun, “lunar eclipses occur when the moon passes right behind it Earth and in the shadows of the earth,” Dhara Patel, a space expert at the UK’s National Space Center in Leicester, told Live Science. “That means they always happen on a full moon,” Patel said (a full moon occurs when the moon is on). the opposite side of the earth Sun).
Why is a lunar eclipse red?
When the Moon is in Earth’s shadow, our planet blocks sunlight from reaching the Moon’s surface directly. It would be natural to think that we could not see the moon at all during this time. “But because Earth has an atmosphere, red light is diffracted onto the moon,” Patel said, “that’s why lunar eclipses tend to be this blood-red color.”
Sunlight includes a spectrum of seven different colors – the same colors as a rainbow (as well as infrared and ultraviolet light). During a lunar eclipse, the blue and yellow portions of this spectrum are mostly absorbed by Earth’s atmosphere, allowing the red light to be freely bent — or refracted — toward the moon European Space Agency.
The composition of Earth’s atmosphere at the time of a solar eclipse can determine the exact shade of red we see. “The more dust there is in the atmosphere, the more the red color can intensify,” Patel said.
Volcanic ash in particular can play a significant role and at times obscure the moon so much that a lunar eclipse loses its characteristic red color. This volcanic impact is so striking that some historians have referred to it historical reports of particularly dark lunar eclipses track past volcanic activity.
What types of lunar eclipses are there?
The shadow of the earth can be categorized as two separate parts. “The inner circle of the shadow, where it’s much darker, is known as the umbra,” Patel said. “Around this is the outer circle called the penumbra.”
The Moon’s orbit is tilted, and its path through these shadow regions is always different. “If it goes through the umbra, you get a total lunar eclipse,” Patel said. When the moon crosses the umbra and penumbra, skygazers see a partial lunar eclipse, where only part of the moon is obscured.
Unsurprisingly, when the moon only passes through the penumbra, one speaks of a penumbral lunar eclipse. Casual skygazers would hardly notice that anything has changed at all.
Lunar eclipses are fairly evenly split between these three types EarthSky.org.
How often do lunar eclipses occur?
“Lunar eclipses happen two to five times a year,” Patel said. “Usually there are two total lunar eclipses every three years.”
But these eclipses are spread all over the planet. If you stay in the same place, you’re likely to see a total lunar eclipse every 2.5 years, Patel said.
This is in stark contrast to the frequency of total solar eclipses. “Any point on Earth, on average, cannot experience more than one total solar eclipse in three to four centuries,” it says Britannica.
When is the next lunar eclipse?
| date | Type | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 15-16 May 2022 | In total | South/West Europe, South/West Asia, Africa, Much of North America, South America, Pacific, Atlantic, Indian Ocean, Antarctica. |
| 7th-8th November 2022 | In total | Northern/Eastern Europe, Asia, Australia, North America, much of South America, Pacific, Atlantic, Indian Ocean, Arctic, Antarctic. |
| 5th-6th May 2023 | penumbra | Southern/Eastern Europe, much of Asia, Australia, Africa, Pacific, Atlantic, Indian Ocean, Antarctica. |
| 28-29 October 2023 | Partially | Europe, Asia, Australia, Africa, North America, North/East South America, Pacific, Atlantic, Indian Ocean, Arctic, Antarctica. |
How can you observe a lunar eclipse?
“The great thing about a lunar eclipse is that it occurs on a full moon,” Patel said. “So if you’re on the night side of the earth, you should be able to see at least part of it.”
This is in contrast to a solar eclipse, which requires you to consider your location very carefully. The duration of a lunar eclipse also makes it easier to observe than a solar eclipse. “A solar eclipse can last a few minutes,” Patel said, “but the entire portion of a lunar eclipse can last up to an hour and even a little longer.”
Put simply, all you have to do is look up at the right time and hope for clear skies. Patel says there are also fewer safety concerns during a lunar eclipse. “During a solar eclipse, you have to be careful not to catch a glimpse of the sun – there’s no problem gazing at the full moon at night.”
Additional Resources
Use this handy viewing guide from NASA to learn more about how to see the moon, including during a lunar eclipse. See amazing images of lunar eclipses, including from NASA. Search for the next lunar eclipse near you by zip code TimeandDate.com.
What is a lunar eclipse? Source link What is a lunar eclipse?
