2023-10-28 08:00:00
And eclipse lunar It is a beautiful astronomical phenomenon that occurs when the Earth, moon and sun They align in space in such a way that the Earth’s shadow falls on the moon, partially or completely blocking sunlight from reaching the Earth’s only natural satellite and creating a impressive show in the night sky.
To understand how a lunar eclipse occurs, it is important to take into account the positions and orbits (or movements) of the Earth, the moon and the sun in space. The moon orbits the Earth in a elliptical trajectory, and the Earth orbits the sun in a similar way. When the three celestial bodies are aligned in a particular way, a lunar eclipse occurs.
Only with a full moon
A lunar eclipse can only occur during full moon phase, that is, when the illuminated side of the moon is opposite the sun in the sky. When there is a full moon, sunlight completely illuminates the side of the moon facing Earth, creating a brilliant spectacle in the night sky. However, during a lunar eclipse the sunlight is partially or completely blocked due to the Earth’s shadow, resulting in a partial or total darkening of the moon.
There are different types of lunar eclipses, including penumbral, partial and total eclipses, and each has its own unique training process.
1-. Penumbral lunar eclipse: Occurs when the moon passes through the Earth’s penumbra, which is the outermost part of its shadow. The Earth’s penumbra is a region that is less dark than the umbra, which is the innermost and darkest part of the Earth’s shadow. During a penumbral eclipse, the moon only passes through the penumbra, resulting in a subtle dimming of its brightness.
Umbra and penumbra
The formation process of a penumbral lunar eclipse begins when the moon moves into the Earth’s shadow in its elliptical orbit. As the moon enters twilight, the sunlight illuminating it gradually dims, causing the moon to dim slightly.
However, because Earth’s penumbra is not completely dark, the dimming of the Moon during a penumbral eclipse can be difficult to detect with the naked eye.
2-. Partial lunar eclipse: A part of the moon becomes dark, while another part remains illuminated.
3-. Total lunar eclipse: The moon passes completely through the Earth’s umbra, resulting in complete darkness of the moon.
Requirements
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For a lunar eclipse to occur, two conditions must be met, apart from the already mentioned one of the full moon.
The moon must be close enough to Earth’s orbital plane so that it can pass through its shadow.
The Earth and the moon must be aligned so that the Earth’s shadow falls on the moon.
The duration of a lunar eclipse is variable: from a few minutes to several hours, depending on the relative position of the three celestial bodies.
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