This lunar eclipse is the last celestial event for the year…
Tonight, there will be a penumbral lunar eclipse, which will be the last celestial event until March next year.
For a short period of time this evening, the moon will be perfectly aligned with the sun and the Earth. This will cause the outer edge of the Earth’s shadow, known as the penumbra, to be cast onto the moon.
According to Dr Shannon Schmoll, director of the Abrams Planetarium at Michigan State University in the US, who spoke to the ABC, “It’ll be a gradient of darkening happening from one side of the moon to the other.”
She mentions that it will not be a dramatic change to the moon; however, if you’re sitting and watching it, ‘you will notice some slight variations in brightness.’
Unlike the blood moon lunar eclipse of November 2022 or the solar eclipse from last year, this sky event will be quite subtle and barely noticeable unless you’re looking out for it.
You will need to be outside with a clear moon view to see this lunar eclipse. You will not need special viewing tools like you do with solar eclipses, and the naked eye should be enough to see any celestial changes.
It will peak at 7.03 pm in Sydney and 7.29 pm in Melbourne.
What is a lunar eclipse?
If you’re scratching your head and wondering what exactly a lunar eclipse is. Don’t worry; you’re not the only one. The lunar eclipse is when the sun, earth and moon align, allowing the moon to pass through the shadow cast by the earth.
Do lunar eclipses only happen at night?
Lunar eclipses happen at night and usually last 30 minutes to an hour. Although there are three lunar eclipses on average every year, this year, there will only be one.
Does a lunar eclipse affect humans?
An eclipse, lunar or solar, cannot cause any physical effects, including gravitational, magnetic, or any other kind of effects.
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