The moon as seen during a partial lunar eclipse from the Israeli coastal city of Netanya in August , [+]
When is the lunar eclipse? When a solar eclipse occurs on one side of the planet – as it did on October 14 in the US – you can bet a lunar eclipse will occur two weeks earlier or later.
Exactly the same will happen on Saturday, October 28 when a mild partial lunar eclipse will be visible from the night side of the Earth. Much, if any, of this phenomenon will not be seen in North America, which will be seen primarily from Europe, Africa, and Asia.
Is this the true “Blood Moon”? No, it doesn’t – but since October’s full moon, the “Hunter Moon” is also often referred to as the “Blood Moon”, so there is some confusion.
Here’s everything you need to know about this weekend’s lunar eclipse:
Explanation of partial lunar eclipse
Just as a solar eclipse can occur only on a new moon day, a lunar eclipse can occur only on a full moon day. The same happens on Saturday when the full “Hunter’s Moon” is 100% illuminated by the Sun, so its disk is completely visible.
What happens next is special. While the Moon is full, the faint outer shadow of Earth’s shadow—it is penumbra-Will fall on it. Therefore its brightness will reduce greatly.
When the full Moon moves into Earth’s deep, central shadow—it is Shadow-A black total lunar eclipse occurs. It is colloquially called a “blood moon”.
However, that’s not really what’s happening here. In fact, the next total lunar eclipse isn’t until March 14, 2025. So why the confusion?
“The ‘Hunter’s Moon’, sometimes known as the ‘Blood Moon’, is a full moon that appears in October in the Northern Hemisphere,” said Dr Minjae Kim, Research Fellow in the Department of Physics at the University of Warwick . UK where the total eclipse will be visible, in an email. “It got its name many years ago, in North America, when deer were fattened in the summer, and prepared for hunting in the autumn moonlight, to provide them with food during the cold months.”
Aside from the confusing monikers, there are also some actual cosmic alignments at work that will help you imagine what’s actually going to happen.
Partial lunar eclipse of ‘Blue Moon’ seen in sky over New Delhi , [+]
What will a partial lunar eclipse look like?
Although a small portion of the full moon will be covered by ShadowIt won’t fully penetrate it, so there will be no “blood moon” moment.
This will result in a partial lunar eclipse, during which the entire Moon will be slightly blurred and a portion of its disk will become noticeably dark. This will sound strange, but far from spectacular.
“The peak magnitude of the eclipse, which represents the portion of the moon’s diameter covered by the darkest region of Earth’s shadow, will be 12.2%,” Kim said. “At the same time, only 6% of the Moon’s surface will be dark at the height of the eclipse.”
Kim noted that, as a visual spectacle, this partial lunar eclipse would be relatively understated, adding: “Careful timing is paramount for those wishing to capture this event.”
Who will see this partial lunar eclipse?
Because Earth’s shadow is much larger than the Moon’s, each lunar eclipse can be seen by the entire hemisphere—the night side of the Earth being visible when the eclipse occurs.
The areas with the best locations for this eclipse will be Europe, Africa, the Middle East and Asia.
The full Moon will exit the Earth’s outer rim from North America penumbra As it rises, Joe will barely be visible, if at all.
On January 1, 2010, a partial lunar eclipse was observed in Chengdu, Shandong province, China. (picture , [+]
exact time of lunar eclipse
This partial lunar eclipse is a global event occurring at exactly that time. According to timeanddate.com, it will occur between 18:01 to 22:26 Universal Time (14:01 to 18:26 EDT) (enter your location into this page and you’ll see a localized schedule of the eclipse).
However, the only phase of any real interest is from 19:35 to 20:52 Universal Time (15:35 to 16:52 EDT), when the full Moon will enter Earth’s shadow. If you want to be really precise, the moment of maximum eclipse – which is, after all, only 12% – will be 20:14 Universal Time (16:14 EDT).
Where to livestream lunar eclipse
The Virtual Telescope Project, broadcasting from Rome, Italy – which is ideal for viewing this partial lunar eclipse – will livestream the event starting at 18:00 Universal Time (14:00 EDT).
I’m an expert on eclipses—the editor of WhenIsTheNextEclipse.com and author of The Complete Guide to the Great North American Eclipse of April 8, 2024, The latest for the total solar eclipse of April 8, 2024—including travel and accommodation options—check my main feed For new articles.
Wishing you clear skies and wide eyes.
