A faint semi-lunar eclipse seen from Lahore, Pakistan, on February 11, 2017. Late Friday, May 5, 2023, through Saturday, May 6, stargazers in Asia and Australia were treated to a penumbral lunar eclipse, during which the moon only got a little darker and didn’t It shows the hallmarks of a total lunar eclipse. Credit: AP Photo/KM Chaudhry, File
Stargazers in Asia and Australia got the best seats for the first lunar eclipse of the year.
The four-hour eclipse began late Friday or early Saturday, depending on the location, as the moon slid into the fringes of Earth’s shadow.
In what’s known as a penumbral lunar eclipse, the full moon passed inside the outer part of Earth’s shadow, causing the moon to dim only slightly. Such an eclipse is not as dramatic as a partial lunar eclipse or a total lunar eclipse when the Moon, Earth and Sun are exactly parallel.
The eclipse was visible from beginning to end, weather permitting, as far west as Saudi Arabia and the west coast of Africa, as far east as Japan and the South Island of New Zealand, and from the South Pole to Siberia. Almost all of Europe also participated in some of the events.
the Virtual Telescope Project Plans to live stream the moon rising over the countryside in Tuscany, Italy.
“Even subtle astronomical events like this one make me excited and happy to share them,” astrophysicist Gianluca Massi, the project’s founder, said in an email.
The upcoming lunar eclipse in October will show in an even better view.
Eastern parts of both Americas will see at least part of a partial lunar eclipse, when part but not all of the moon passes through Earth’s dark central shadow. Asia, Africa and Europe will be treated in the entire show.
The total lunar eclipse won’t be shown until 2025 with North America and the western half of South America in the front row seats.
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