Showing posts with label NASA. Show all posts
Showing posts with label NASA. Show all posts

April 15, 2014

Penumbral lunar eclipse visible today

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said the eclipse will begin at 12:53 p.m. (Philippine Standard Time) and end at 6:37 p.m.

A penumbral lunar eclipse will occur today, the moon will rise in Manila at 6:12 p.m (April 15 ) and set at 5:26 a.m. the following day.

Penumbra refers to a partially shaded outer region of a shadow that an object casts. The moon turns coppery red during the eclipse as it passes through the Earth’s shadow.
A lunar eclipse occurs when the moon passes directly behind the Earth into its shadow (umbra) . This can occur only when the Sun, Earth, and Moon are aligned exactly, or very closely so, with the Earth in the middle. Hence, a lunar eclipse can only occur the night of a full moon. The type and length of an eclipse depend upon the Moon's location relative to its orbital nodes.( From Wikipedia)

When the Moon approaches closely enough to the Earth's shadow to cause an appreciable diminution of light though it does not directly touch it. 

“A penumbral eclipse occurs when the moon passes through the faint penumbral portion of the earth’s shadow,” PAGASA said.

According to the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Penumbral eclipses are so subtle and vaguely visible they go greatly unnoticed.

A total lunar eclipse will be observed in western Africa, western Europe, the Americas, Australasia and eastern Asia.

People in North and South America will be able to see the entire eclipse, while sky watchers in the western Pacific can catch only the last half, NASA said.

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