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| ROBERT ATANASOVSKI/AFP via Getty Images |
On Friday, May 5th, there will be a stunning astronomical event known as a penumbral eclipse, during which the moon will pass into the outer shadow of the Earth. Skywatchers across the globe will witness the moon darkening, although it won’t completely disappear.
The penumbral lunar eclipse is set to commence at 11:15 a.m. EDT (1515 GMT), and it will be visible from any location where the moon is over the horizon, including Eastern and Central Africa, Oceania, Asia, Russia, and Antarctica. The event will reach its peak at 1:24 p.m. EDT (1724 GMT) and will conclude at 3:32 p.m. EDT (1932 GMT), when the moon emerges from the Earth’s shadow.
Unfortunately, the penumbral eclipse will not be visible from most of Europe, South America, or North America, as the moon will be below the horizon during the entire time Earth is in the shadow of the moon.
Lunar eclipses occur when Earth passes between the moon and the sun, with the three celestial bodies in a straight line. As a result, the shadow of our planet falls on the moon’s face, blocking the light from the sun. However, unlike solar eclipses, lunar eclipses such as the penumbral eclipse are often subtle and challenging to observe.
A penumbral eclipse occurs when the moon enters the Earth’s lighter outer shadow, known as the penumbra, which is an area where the Earth seems to cover a part of the sun’s disk but not all of it. Consequently, when the moon is within the penumbra, it receives less sunlight, appears dimmer, but is still somewhat illuminated. Don’t miss out on this spectacular astronomical event!
