How to watch a total lunar eclipse
Timothy M. E· Photo taken by O. Sullivan in Sacramento, California, on May 26, 2021. Timothy wrote: "The total lunar eclipse of May 26, 2021, is almost completely close to where I am. I love the red moon and seeing the stars around the full moon. ”
Watch a total lunar eclipse
A total lunar eclipse is one of the most striking, beautiful and easiest astronomical phenomena to watch. During a total lunar eclipse, the Sun, Earth, and Moon form a line in space, and Earth's shadow will obscure the Moon's surface. The whole hemisphere of the earth will see this lunar eclipse, which means that the entire hemisphere of the earth, which is at night, will see this lunar eclipse. You won't need to use any special observation equipment, just grab your lawn lounger, walk outside, and plan to spend a few hours watching the phased eclipse. When the Moon is completely obscured by the Earth's shadow, it will be followed by a total eclipse itself.
Tom Wildona from the LeisurelyScientist website took this photo in Wessely, Pennsylvania, during a total lunar eclipse in 2019.
Know the correct date and time of the lunar eclipse
For example, the may 15-16 lunar eclipse of May 15-16, 2022, began at 02:27 UTC on May 16, and the moon felt as if it had been bitten. For people in North America, that will be Sunday night — May 15 — at 10:27 p.m. Elsewhere in the world, a lunar eclipse occurs before dawn on May 16. More information.
Choose a good viewing site
It's true that both the city and the suburbs can be seen, but the clearer night sky in the countryside, combined with the scenery, sounds and smells, can leave you with an unforgettable experience. There's also a special beauty of watching in the countryside, where thousands of stars suddenly appear in view, and as the lunar eclipse progresses, the landscape around you gradually darkens.
If possible, the ideal location should be an open sky, unobstructed by trees or tall buildings. In addition, municipal parks and state parks are often good locations to observe the sky. Set the alarm! Check out closing times! Or plan an overnight camping.
When the lunar eclipse starts, just lie down comfortably (reclining is better!). Observe the lunar eclipse afterwards. Remember to bring some warm clothes and blankets.
Nurul Fathin writes, "Total lunar eclipses – an optical phenomenon known as 'Japanese lanterns'. This photo was taken during a lunar eclipse around 3:24 a.m. on July 28, 2018 at the Telk Kemang Observatory in Port Dickson, Malaysia. “
Learn about the different stages of a total lunar eclipse
Lunar eclipses usually last several hours and are divided into several phases.
The first is the appearance of penumbras. In outer space,
The umbra begins to appear
The partial solar eclipse begins. The dark umbra inside begins to cover the moon. Like a penumbra, it starts from one side and slowly spreads to the surface of the moon. It looked like the moon had been bitten off. The Earth's shadow initially appears to be completely dark, and when the lunar eclipse begins, you can capture the bronze shimmer emitted by the moon in the photographs of the exposure photograph. Note that the shadows on the moon are curved. Such a fact allowed Aristotle to deduce in the fourth century BC that the earth was a sphere. When three-quarters of the moon is obscured, the shaded parts should begin to glow dimly, like the burners of an electric stove. Also pay attention to the light around you on Earth. It's a bright moonlit landscape, and the ground may have cast a dark shadow of the moon. Now the brightness gradually dims until the world around you becomes completely dark, as if on a moonless night.
Whole foods begin
The total eclipse begins, and the black shadow completely covers the moon. This is the full phase of a lunar eclipse, called a total eclipse. It usually lasts an hour or so. During a total eclipse, shadows on the Moon often appear red. It is extremely beautiful, and subtle color changes run through the whole whole of the whole food. By the way, red isn't the only color you can see during a whole eclipse. There are also gray and brown. Some say they saw the moon with a circle of turquoise, within minutes of the start and end of a total eclipse. This turquoise color is the result of absorption by the Earth's ozone layer. A variety of large swaths of color passing through the lunar surface—especially the beginning and end of total eclipses—create an effect known as the Japanese lantern effect. You can capture it with a photo, just like a photo taken from the Straight Fall Keman Observatory.
The best lunar eclipse
The best lunar eclipse. In the middle of a lunar eclipse. The whole is in the midpoint position. The shadow on the moon may now look red, or very dark, depending on whether there has been a recent major volcanic eruption on Earth. Volcanic eruptions may add aerosols to Earth's stratosphere, darkening lunar eclipses. It is worth noting that the moon in the eclipse state looks more three-dimensional than the ordinary full moon. Take a deep look at the shadow on the surface of the moon. Can you recognize that familiar human face on the moon? Sometimes the Earth's shadow obscures or obscures features of the lunar surface.
End of whole food
Will you see the Blood Moon?
There is one thing that may be of greater interest to the reader. This is because it is difficult to observe it anywhere on the planet, and if it is encountered in the right place, it is definitely something that can be shown off in the circle of friends. That is, a lunar eclipse occurs at the same time as the sun rises or sets. This astronomical phenomenon is called the selenelion.
From the perspective of the geometric position of the celestial bodies, it seems that this phenomenon of the blood moon is impossible: because the conditions under which a lunar eclipse occurs require that the sun and moon be exactly 180 degrees in the sky, that is, synodic. This perfect positional relationship seems to imply that it is unlikely that the sun and lunar eclipse will appear in our field of vision at the same time.
However, due to the presence of atmospheric refraction, we can see both the refracted image of the sun and the moon of a total lunar eclipse in the same sky. The most common example of this refraction phenomenon in life is when a spoon is put into a water cup and interrupted into two pieces, and for the same reason, the sun can also be refracted from below the horizon to the sky above the horizon
Who will see the Blood Moon
We need to be in specific places to observe the phenomenon of blood moons. The chart below shows where the blood moon can be observed during the total solar eclipse between May 15-16, 2022:
The best solar eclipse occurred at 04:11 UTC on May 16, 2022, when the Moon is in zenith position near the border between Bolivia and Paraguay. People west of the point, such as North and South America, can make observations on the evening of May 15. People east of the point, such as eastern South America, the Atlantic Ocean, and Western Europe, can make observations in the western sky on may 16 morning.
The image of the lunar eclipse above is from the NASA eclipse website. The best area for us to observe the blood moon is between the narrow bands of U2-U3 in the map. When located in the African or European strip in the picture, we can find that the lunar eclipse is setting in the west on the morning of May 16, and the sun is just in the ascending period. When located in parts of Canada and East Hawaii, it is possible to see the lunar eclipse rising in the east in the evening while the sun is setting in the west. Of course, the observation of the blood moon needs to have a broad field of vision, and obstacles will affect our observation of the blood moon.
A blood moon at the time of the lunar eclipse
Observing the blood moon is not limited to these areas. In clear weather and open vision, we still have the opportunity to observe the blood moon phenomenon during a partial solar eclipse between the vast areas of U1 and U2. In addition, the area between U3 and U4 also had the opportunity to observe the blood moon phenomenon during a partial solar eclipse.
The connection of the calendar provides us with the local accurate sunrise and sunset or moonrise and moonset times. If we want to observe the blood moon, be sure to check the local moonrise and moonset times. Even though we may only be in the U2-U3 area, or even just close to it, we still have the opportunity to enjoy the beauty of the total lunar eclipse in the sky.
Write at the end: Observing lunar eclipses requires that we be in the right geographic position. However, this lunar eclipse is visible to most of the planet, which provides us with a better opportunity to see the lunar eclipse in the night sky. This paper also suggests that some optical aids, such as binoculars, can be used for lunar eclipse observations. Finally, I hope that everyone can find their own happiness during this lunar eclipse!
BY：Deborah Byr
FY：Astronomical volunteer team
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Translation: Astronomical Volunteer Article Group - Collaborative Translation Team
Co-signed: Yang Yixiu, Chen Song, Fawn of the Solar System, Katrina, Messier, Ye
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Resources
1. WJ Encyclopedia
2. Astronomical terms
3. Original from: https://earthsky.org/astronomy-essentials/how-do-i-watch-the-total-lunar-eclipse/
This article is translated by the Astronomical Volunteer Article Group - Yang Yixiu, Chen Song, Fawn of the Solar System, Katrina, Messier, Ye from the author of the article Deborah Byr, if there is any relevant content infringement, please contact the author to delete it after the work is published.
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