Lunar eclipses occur at Full Moon, when the intersecting node of the Moons orbit along the ecliptic aircraft falls near the Earths shadow cast back into area. The Moons orbit is slanted about 5 degrees relative to the ecliptic, otherwise, we d see solar and lunar eclipses every lunation.
Times and Visibility
Many of North America and the Pacific will see the eclipse in its entirety. Eastern North America, South America, the United Kingdom and Scandinavia will see the eclipse in development at dawn, while Australia and the Far East will see the eclipse in underway at sundown; only Europe, Africa and the mid-East will sit this one out. The Moon remains in the huge constellation of Taurus the Bull when the eclipse happens.
There are also some notable facets of Fridays eclipse: This is the deepest partial lunar eclipse that misses totality up until the 98.65% eclipse on November 20th, 2086, and since the 99.6% eclipse of October 13th, 1856. This weeks eclipse is likewise the longest partial eclipse of the 21st century at 3 hours, 28 minutes and 23 seconds in duration, the longest because February 18th, 1440 (at 3 hours 28 minutes and 46 seconds) and till February 8th, 2669 (at 3 hours, 30 minutes and 2 seconds), which is likewise the longest of 5 millennium period of eclipses from 2,000 BC to 3,000 ADVERTISEMENT.
The course of the Moon (top) through the Earths shadow this coming Friday, with visibility potential customers around the world (bottom). Credit: NASA/GSFC/F. Espenak.
Here are the crucial times for Fridays partial lunar eclipse:
Penumbral begins: 6:02 UT/1:02 AM EST
. Penumbral ends: 12:04 UT/7:04 AM EST
. Penumbral duration: 6 hours, 1 minute and 29 seconds.
Umbral period: 3 hours, 28 minutes and 23 seconds.
Flirting with totality: the stages of a lunar eclipse. Credit: Dave Dickinson.
Would you know it was just a deep partial eclipse if you didnt understand better? We had a somewhat comparable circumstance throughout the 2015 tetrad of lunar eclipses, with a totality of simply under 5 minutes in duration throughout the April 4th, 2015 lunar eclipse.
Tales of the Saros.
This particular eclipse is member 46 of the 72 eclipses in saros series 126. if you saw the brief (22 minutes overall) eclipse on November 9th 2003, then you captured the final total eclipse for this saros series, which began all the method back on July 18th, 1228, and spawned its very first total lunar eclipse on June 19th, 1769 … the eclipses for this series are now partial just from here on out, with a slim penumbral eclipse ending the saros on (mark your calendars) August 19th, 2472 ADVERTISEMENT.
Astronomer Nicholas Capricornus experienced a really comparable deep partial eclipse on November 6th 1500, throughout a jubilee year pilgrimage to Rome.
Observing the Eclipse.
This eclipse is technically partial, its deep enough that we need to still capture a blood moon, at least on the Moons northern limb. Not all lunar eclipses are the same, and can take on anywhere from a bright, saffron-tinged pink look, to a dark brick red color. The Danjon scale is used to describe the appearance of an eclipse during totality, from 4 (bright) to 0 (dark).
The distinction to color from one eclipse to the next is the result of two elements: 1). How central the eclipse is through the Earths shadow, and 2). just how much ash, dust and aerosols are presently suspended in the Earths environment to refract reddish sunlight around the rim of the Earth onto the eclipsed Moon. I would expect Fridays deep partial to appear relatively intense, though the rash of forest fires worldwide in 2020-2021 might include a reddish tint to the Moons appearance. Remember, basing on the Earthward side of the Moon Friday early morning, you d see a total or deep partial solar eclipse.
To date, no human has actually seen a solar eclipse from the Moon … yet.
Looking sunward from the surface area of the Moon Friday early morning. Credit: Stellarium.
The eclipse likewise marks the start of the last eclipse season for 2021, book-ended with the remote overall solar eclipse throughout the Antarctic on December 4th. Take heart: 2022 features 2 overall lunar eclipses, including one on May 16th favoring the Americas, Europe and Africa.
Clouded out, or live in the incorrect hemisphere? Astronomer Gianluca Masi and the Virtual Telescope Project have you covered, with a webcast featuring the deep partial lunar eclipse beginning at 7:00 UT/2:00 AM EST on November 19th:.
Watch the November 19th partial lunar eclipse online. Credit: Gianluca Masi/The Virtual Telescope Project.
Weather Prospects Come Eclipse Day.
As of composing this, skies for the Contiguous U.S. (CONUS) seems a mix of clear to cloudy on Friday morning. Well take another appearance at the situation and upgrade cloud cover potential customers the day prior. If skies look iffy, take heart: you do not require a completely cloud totally free sky to catch a lunar eclipse … just an excellent view of the Moon.
Friday mornings cloud cover potential customers, simply prior to the start of the eclipse. Credit: NOAA.
We just recently wrote a total guide to imaging lunar eclipses for Astro-Gear Today. Locations where the eclipse happens at moonset or moonrise will also have a chance to capture the eclipsed Moon along with foreground objects near the horizon. Keep an eye on ISS-transit Finder, to see if you have a neighboring chance to see the International Space Station transiting the eclipsed Moon.
Do not miss this last lunar eclipse of 2021, and the longest partial eclipse of this century and a one millennium period.
Lead image credit: Last Mays lunar eclipse, throughout the star-dappled backdrop of Scorpius. Image credit and copyright: Thad Szabo.
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Eastern North America, South America, the United Kingdom and Scandinavia will see the eclipse in progress at daybreak, while Australia and the Far East will see the eclipse in underway at sunset; only Europe, Africa and the mid-East will sit this one out. We had a slightly similar circumstance throughout the 2015 tetrad of lunar eclipses, with a totality of simply under 5 minutes in duration throughout the April 4th, 2015 lunar eclipse. Astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus observed a partial lunar eclipse (the last lunar eclipse of the 15th century) #OnThisDay 1500, while on a jubilee year pilgrimage to Rome. Not all lunar eclipses are the exact same, and can take on anywhere from a brilliant, saffron-tinged pink look, to a dark brick red color. If skies look undecided, take heart: you dont need a totally cloud free sky to catch a lunar eclipse … just a great view of the Moon.
Friday early mornings partial lunar eclipse will flirt with totality, as the longest for more than a century.
If youre like us, we never miss out on a possibility to catch a lunar eclipse, be it penumbral, total or partial. Lunar eclipses are a fun time to catch the surety of the clockwork Universe at its finest, as the Moon slides into and then exits the Earths shadow.
First the bad news: Friday early mornings eclipse in the early hours of November 19th isnt entirely overall. The good news is that at its maximum around 9:04 Universal Time (UT)/ 4:04 AM Eastern Time (EST) the eclipse narrowly misses totality, at 97.5% partial.
Astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus observed a partial lunar eclipse (the final lunar eclipse of the 15th century) #OnThisDay 1500, while on a jubilee year expedition to Rome. This was a deep partial, extremely comparable to the lunar eclipse this month on the 19th. pic.twitter.com/61JgW4m9QK.
— Dave Dickinson (@Astroguyz) November 6, 2021.