The first lunar eclipse of 2023 is coming soon

The Moon will enter Earth’s outer shadow on May 5, creating a penumbral eclipse, making the Moon appear darker but not disappearing.

The map shows areas where the May 5 lunar eclipse can be observed. (Picture: Ɗominic Ford/In-The-Sky. org).

The midnight lunar eclipse will begin at 10:15 p.m. on May 5 (Hanoi time). And can be observed from anywhere the Moon is above the horizon, including Antarctica, Asia, Russia, Oceania, East and Central Africa. the event will be peaked at 12:24 a.m. on May 6 and ended at 2:32 a.m. on the same daywhen the Moon emerges from the Earth’s shadow.

Like all lunar eclipses, a penumbral eclipse occurs when the Earth passes between the Moon and the Sun. This causes the Earth to block light from the Sun and cast shadows on the Moon.

A penumbral eclipse occurs when the Moon enters the brighter outer region of Earth’s shadow, called penumbra (darkness). This is the area where the Earth appears to partially obscure the Sun’s disk, not all of it. When in the semi-dark region, the Moon receives less light from the Sun. To observers from Earth, the Moon appears dark, but not completely gone.

This effect can be difficult to notice and is sometimes only detectable in detailed photographs or by people with extremely sharp eyesight. However, sometimes there are events where the entire Moon moves into twilight. These rare lunar eclipses are darker and easier to see with the naked eye. Such an event is called a very rare total penumbral lunar eclipsebecause once the Moon enters the semi-dark region, it is likely that at least part of the Moon will reach shadow zone (shadow) – the darkest inner part of the Earth’s shadow. This creates a partial lunar eclipse instead of a penumbral eclipse.

Article source: VnExpress