Lunar Eclipse: Here's How to See the Upcoming Worm Moon

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A bright worm moon will light up the sky on Monday, with a celestial show for early-morning outings – a penumbral lunar eclipse.

The full moon in March is known as the worm moon Farmers' Almanac Due to its proximity to the vernal equinox, it will be at its fullest at 3 a.m. ET.

A few hours ago, starting at 12:53 am ET, According to EarthSkyThe Moon will be almost perfectly aligned with the Sun and Earth, so that the outer edge of the Earth's shadow, called the penumbra, is cast onto the illuminated sphere.

The greatest eclipse will be on that day 3:12 am. ED, when the moon appears slightly darker than usual, he said Dr. Shannon SchmollDirector of the Abrams Planetarium at Michigan State University.

“It's almost a gradient in darkness that happens from one side of the moon to the other. It's not a super dramatic change in what we see on the moon,” Schmoll said. “But if you're looking at it, you might notice some small variations in brightness.”

The Worm Moon — named by Native Americans for beetle larvae and other creatures emerging from hibernation in the spring — will be visible to everyone around the world as the moon appears full. for two days.

A penumbral eclipse, however, is visible only to those present on the day The night side of the earth When the event occurs, including Europe, North and East Asia, Australia, Africa, North America and South America. According to EarthSky, the lunar eclipse will end at 5:33 am ET.

The penumbral eclipse comes two weeks before a total solar eclipse that crosses Mexico, the United States and Canada on April 8. Lunar and solar eclipses always come in pairs because of the timing of the alignment of the Sun, Earth and Moon, Schmoll said. . While the full Moon is trapped in Earth's shadow during this penumbral eclipse, the Moon's next New Moon phase will allow the conditions necessary for a solar eclipse, blocking the Moon's face when it is between the Sun and Earth. Sun from perspective.

An “eclipse period” is approximately 35 days, which occurs every six months, near the equinoxes. When the nearly perfect alignment of the three celestial bodies necessary for eclipses occurs, According to NASA.

Lunar eclipses don't happen every month during every full moon because the moon's orbital plane is tilted about 5 degrees, so during most full moons, Earth's shadow is either below or above the moon, Schmoll said.

Although a lunar eclipse isn't as dramatic as a total lunar eclipse, viewing a lunar eclipse doesn't require any special equipment like the glasses required for a solar eclipse, Schmoll said. It should be seen with the naked eye.

“You have to be outside when the moon happens, and it's clearly visible when it happens,” Schmoll added. “(Eclipses) are always a good excuse to get outside and look at the sky and appreciate where we are in the universe and what we can see from our planet.”

Solar and lunar eclipses

The most anticipated of the four eclipses will occur in 2024 A total solar eclipse on April 8, parts of South America will experience an annular solar eclipse on October 2. This type of eclipse is similar to a total solar eclipse except that the Moon is farthest from Earth in its orbit, so it cannot completely block the Sun. Conversely, solar eclipses create a “ring of fire” in the sky as the Sun's fiery light circles the Moon's shadow.

Meanwhile, a partial lunar eclipse, in which the Earth moves out of alignment between the Sun and the full Moon, will appear in Europe and much of Asia, Africa, North America and South America between September 17 and 18.

Cheque Website of time and date See when each of these eclipses will appear.

According to Earthsky, among the 12 full moons in 2024, the September and October lunar events will be considered supermoons.

Definitions of a supermoon can vary, but the term generally refers to a full moon that is closer to Earth than normal, causing it to appear larger and brighter in the night sky. Some astronomers say this phenomenon occurs when the moon is 90% perigee—its closest approach to Earth in orbit.

Here are the remaining full moons of 2024:

• April 23: Pink Moon

• May 23: Flower Moon

• June 21: Strawberry Moon

• July 21: Buck Moon

• August 19: Sturgeon Moon

• September 17: Harvest Moon

• October 17: Hunter's Moon

• November 15: Beaver Moon

• December 15: Cold Moon

Skygazers say they can expect several meteor showers this year American Meteorological Society. Here are the dates when meteor events are expected to peak this year.

• Lyrics: April 21-22

• Eda Aquarius: May 4-5

• South Delta Aquarits: July 29-30

• Alpha Capricornids: July 30-31

• Perseids: August 11-12

• Dragonids: October 7-8

• Orionides: October 20-21

• Southern Tarits: November 4-5

• Northern Tarits: November 11-12

• Leonids: November 17-18

• Gemini: December 13-14

• Ursits: December 21-22