What phenomenon is called a lunar eclipse? Lunar eclipse: what to do and not to do

A lunar eclipse is not as rare a phenomenon as a solar eclipse, which is perhaps why it was not so feared, but no less interesting. The causes of solar and lunar eclipses are similar: both are explained by the ratio of the diameters of the Sun and Moon with their distance from the Earth. The difference between a solar and lunar eclipse is that in the first case, the Moon obscures the Earth, and in the second, the Earth obscures the Moon (so during a lunar eclipse on Earth, you can observe the sun on our only satellite).

In order for a lunar eclipse to take place, first of all, the moon must be visible - i.e. it cannot happen on a new moon, but the ideal case is, of course, a full moon. The full moon, as you know, happens every month. In addition, it is necessary that on a full moon the Earth is close to the lunar node - the point at which the lunar orbit intersects the ecliptic (the circle of the sky along which the Sun moves throughout the year for an observer on Earth). If the orbital planes of the Earth and the Moon coincided completely, every full moon would be accompanied by an eclipse (in other words, we would never really see the full moon), but the plane of the lunar orbit is inclined relative to the Earth's by 5 degrees - not much, but enough that the shadow from In most cases, the earth did not hit the target. This happens approximately twice a year, a maximum of three, and it also happens that this does not happen even once in a year, but solar eclipses happen from two to five per year. It turns out that lunar eclipses occur even less frequently than solar eclipses - but they can be observed much more often... why does this happen?

The fact is that the Earth is larger than the Moon, and the cone of its shadow is much wider than the cone of the Moon, so if a lunar eclipse has already occurred, it can be seen on the entire half of the planet where the Moon is visible at that time. During a solar eclipse, the shadow of our satellite does not “pass” across the entire surface of our planet; it will touch the area where you live or not, depending on your luck. That’s why you can live your life and never see a solar eclipse, but everyone has seen a lunar eclipse at least once. By the way, ancient Greek astronomers, relatively accurately for their era, calculated the ratio of the sizes of the Moon and the Earth based precisely on the ratio of the frequency of lunar and solar eclipses!

It is noteworthy that during an eclipse, the moon does not disappear from the sky, it is still visible - but it looks unusual: it becomes blurry and dark red. The ancient inhabitants of Mesopotamia came up with a very original explanation for this phenomenon: the Moon turns red with blood when the goddess Ishtar begins her period (theoretically, this should suggest that her female cycle is very, very long... but the goddess must be somehow different from ordinary Earthly women !). Today we know the true reason for this phenomenon. The fact is that the earth's shadow does not completely cover the moon - part of the sunlight still reaches it, making it possible to shine with reflected light, but the rays of the Sun go tangentially to our planet, passing through its atmosphere. Our atmosphere scatters the blue and green parts of the spectrum, but transmits the red and orange well - this part of the spectrum “goes” to the Moon during an eclipse.

But even when you know this, the sight of a blood-red moon makes an eerie impression - so lunar eclipses also scared people. So, once the Athenian army was so frightened by a lunar eclipse that the soldiers threw down their weapons and fled, so that Syracuse won without a fight (why the Syracusan warriors were not afraid of the eclipse - history is silent). The sad fate of the Kyiv prince Izyaslav, who died in battle a year after his accession to the throne, which took place on February 12, 1161, was also associated with the lunar eclipse... however, at that time, such a fate for the prince, alas, was not there was nothing unusual - so the fate of Izyaslav differs from the fate of many other Russian princes except by this very astronomical phenomenon. However, lunar eclipses were still not feared as much as solar eclipses (perhaps because we see the “hiding” of the Moon every month - although it looks different) - for example, the priests of Babylon had a whole system in this regard: in what cases a lunar eclipse portends something bad, and when - “the favor of the gods”).

Alas, practice shows that some of our contemporaries are not far removed from their distant ancestors: the Internet is full of all kinds of “wise” recommendations regarding lunar eclipses: “don’t look at the eclipse,” “don’t eat three hours before it starts,” and even “ try to get rid of unwanted people in your life” (for some reason the astrologer does not specify which is better to use - poison, a dagger or a firearm). I don’t know what about the last recommendation – but scientists definitely won’t agree with the first! After all, lunar eclipses helped to learn something about our satellite - in particular, it was found that the lunar soil is a poor conductor of heat (during eclipses its temperature quickly drops).

This year we will have three lunar eclipses - however, none of them will be total and only two of them will be visible in Europe. The first eclipse will occur on April 25, it will be partial (the disk of the Moon will not be completely covered), the second will be on October 18, penumbral (the Moon will not disappear, but will only become less bright - it is almost impossible to see this with the naked eye, it is recorded by instruments). Another penumbral eclipse - on May 25 - will be observed in Africa and America.

On Monday, August 7, a partial lunar eclipse will be observed in Russia, with the exception of Chukotka and Kamchatka. In Moscow the phenomenon will be seen from 20:24 to 22:19. Read about what this rare astronomical phenomenon is, how it can affect the human body, and where it is best observed in the material from RT.

On the evening of August 7, Russians will be able to observe a partial lunar eclipse. At 20:00 Moscow time, the Earth's satellite will rise above the horizon, being in the penumbra of the planet, and in the period from 20:24 to 22:19 Moscow time, the Moon will pass through the northern part of the planet's shadow and plunge into the earth's shadow. The maximum phase of the eclipse will occur at 21:20. The Moon will plunge into the Earth's shadow with its southern edge at 0.25 lunar diameter.

“A lunar eclipse can be observed from almost anywhere on the globe. The only limitation is daylight, it will interfere. That is, almost the entire night side of the Earth can observe a partial lunar eclipse,” Academician Anatoly Cherepashchuk, director of the Sternberg State Astronomical Institute (SAI) of Moscow State University, told RT.

Cherepashchuk emphasized that in Russia the best place to watch the eclipse is from its European part. In Chukotka and Kamchatka they will let him through - it will already be morning there by that time.

But residents of different parts of Europe, Asia, Africa and Australia will also have the opportunity to see how part of the lunar disk will change color to burgundy-red. It is because of this characteristic “coloring” that this phenomenon is called the “blood moon”.

“If we consider a total lunar eclipse, when the Moon goes completely into the Earth’s shadow, and we are on the Moon, we will see the Earth framed in a red rim. It is the sun's rays that are refracted through the atmosphere. The red color of the rim hits the moon. The color is not always red, it can be gray-brown,” says Nikolai Zheleznov, senior researcher at the Institute of Applied Astronomy of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

You can see the eclipse with the naked eye, but it is best to equip yourself with a telescope.

“You will simply see a shadow on the Moon - such a semicircle from the Earth and some area of ​​​​penumbra, inside the dark shadow there will be not black, but red,” explains Cherepashchuk.

Observation at the Moscow Planetarium will begin an hour before the maximum phase. If clear weather continues until the end of the day, an event dedicated to the eclipse will be held at the astronomical site - visitors will see the eclipse through telescopes, and will also learn about the peculiarities of the phases of this event from experts.

According to scientists, the ebb and flow of tides during a lunar eclipse will be maximum, but people who do not have health problems will not be affected in any way.

Dark Moon

Lunar eclipses occur when the Moon enters the cone of the shadow cast by the Earth. In some cases, the satellite may be completely darkened. When the Moon partially enters the Earth's shadow, we are talking about a partial eclipse. There is also a partial penumbral eclipse - then the satellite enters only the penumbra of the planet. Penumbral eclipses are weak and can often only be seen in the middle, since the penumbral phases are inaccessible to the human eye.

“When the Earth, Sun and Moon are approximately in a straight line, the shadow of the Earth falls on the Moon, and we see a large part of the Earth. By the way, even at the beginning of our era, smart people said that since the Earth’s shadow is round, the Earth also has a spherical shape. That is, you will directly see confirmation of the round shape of the Earth,” notes Cherepashchuk.

Lunar eclipses occur at least twice a year. This year, on February 11, Russians have already observed a penumbral eclipse of the Moon. Then the satellite plunged into the penumbra of the planet by 1.02 of its own diameter. In 2018, according to astronomers, two total shadow eclipses are expected - on January 31 and July 27. There will also be two lunar eclipses in 2019, and as many as four in 2020 (but all of them are penumbral).

Up there

On the night of August 12-13, another important astronomical phenomenon will take place: star shower. It is expected that it will be possible to see up to a hundred meteors per hour - but, most likely, the meteor shower will not be noticeable in the metropolis, and in order to look at it, you will have to get out of the city.

However, the Russians will not catch the most important event of the last month of summer, the solar eclipse on August 21: its line of sight will pass through North America. Residents of Chukotka will be able to observe private phases.

> Lunar eclipse

What's happened lunar eclipse: characteristics of the phenomenon and its essence, formation scheme, calendar of lunar eclipses, total, partial, penumbral with photos, how to observe.

In essence, an eclipse is the complete or partial darkening of one object in the sky by another. Thus, lunar eclipse- This is the immersion of the Moon in the cone of the earth's shadow. In this case, our planet is located on the line between the center of the Moon and the center of the Sun. The phenomenon occurs when the brightness of the Moon's disk decreases significantly.

Objects in space move, so the movement of the shadow across the lunar surface creates the phases of the moon during an eclipse. It is customary to distinguish between penumbral (the Moon plunges only into the Earth's penumbra), partial (at the peak of the eclipse, only part of the lunar disk plunges into the Earth's shadow) and total (the Moon's disk completely enters the Earth's shadow) lunar eclipses. That is, by understanding the level of the Moon’s immersion in the Earth’s shadow, you can understand what kind of lunar eclipse you are looking at. Observations of such phenomena can be carried out in any corner of the world where the Moon is located above the horizon. The average duration of an eclipse is several hours.

As stated above, lunar eclipses only occur during the full moon. If we imagine that the Moon revolves around our planet in the same plane in which the Earth revolves around the Sun, then observers could admire lunar eclipses at every full moon. However, the plane of the lunar orbit is at an angle of 5˚ to the plane of the ecliptic, therefore lunar eclipse occurs only if the Moon approaches the nodes of its orbit. When the full moon and new moon fall into the zone of the Lunar nodes, lunar and solar eclipses are related.

Lunar eclipse calendar

Lunar eclipse calendar indicates the dates and year of future lunar eclipse events. You can see what the best visibility area on Earth will be, indicating the maximum phase point and area of ​​the lunar eclipse. In addition, you can see the dates of past and future lunar eclipses, where the frequency and interval between eclipses are noticeable.

Lunar eclipse: basic concepts

An incredibly beautiful cosmic phenomenon that is observed by a large number of people, but the description may contain not entirely clear terms and phases familiar to astronomy. Let's study them carefully. Also remember what conditions are needed for a lunar eclipse to occur, when the Blood Moon appears, and how this is affected by the distance of the satellite from the Earth.

Occurs at the moment when the Moon is completely immersed in the shadow space. The total phase of the eclipse lasts up to 1.5 hours, then the edge of the Moon again appears in the field of view.

An eclipse occurs at the moment when the Moon plunges into shadow with only one edge, and part of its surface remains illuminated.

Around the cone of the Earth's shadow there is a space where the Earth only partially obscures the Sun. In the event that the Moon crosses the penumbral region, but does not plunge into the shadow, a penumbral eclipse is observed. At this moment, the Moon's brilliance weakens slightly. It is almost impossible to notice this with the naked eye. And only during the period when the Moon approaches the cone of complete shadow under clear sky conditions can you see a slight darkening from one edge of the Moon.

The moment of greatest eclipse is an event that is characterized by the smallest distance between the axis of the Moon's shadow cone and the center of our planet. The point of greatest eclipse is the area of ​​the earth's surface where the maximum phase of the eclipse can be observed at the moment of the greatest eclipse.

The essence of a lunar eclipse

The minimum distance from the surface of our planet to the Moon is about 363 thousand kilometers. Moreover, the size of the shadow that the Earth is capable of creating at such a distance is approximately 2.5 times greater than the diameter of the Moon itself. Therefore, it is capable of completely covering the Moon. An eclipse occurs when the Moon enters the Earth's shadow. If the shadow completely covers the lunar disk, a total lunar eclipse occurs. This process is clearly demonstrated by the diagram of a lunar eclipse.

In that part of the earth's surface where the Moon is above the horizon, it is possible to observe a lunar eclipse, and from any point its appearance will be the same. The eclipse is not visible from the rest of the globe. Scientists have calculated that the maximum duration of one total lunar eclipse can be 108 minutes. Eclipses like this don't happen very often. The last long eclipses were observed on August 13, 1859 and July 16, 2000.

The degree of shadow coverage of the lunar surface at each moment in time is called the phase of the lunar eclipse. The zero phase is calculated as the ratio from the center of the Moon to the center of the shadow cast by the Earth. Astronomical values ​​of zero and phase are calculated for each moment of a lunar eclipse.

Cases when the Earth's shadow partially covers the Moon are called partial eclipses. In this case, part of the lunar surface is covered with shadow, and part is illuminated by the sun's rays or remains in partial shade.

The region of space where our planet does not completely block the sun's rays, located along the perimeter of the cone of the cast shadow, is called penumbra. If the Moon does not enter the shadow, but only falls into the penumbra region, then this phenomenon is called a penumbral eclipse. At the same time, the brightness of the Moon decreases slightly, which is almost invisible to the naked eye. Only when the Moon passes near the main cone of total shadow does a slight darkening occur on one side of the lunar disk. You can observe a penumbral eclipse using special devices.

Since at the moment of a total eclipse the Moon is illuminated exclusively by rays passing through the upper layer of the atmosphere, depending on its condition, the lunar disk becomes reddish or brownish in color. The difference in color can be seen by comparing photographs of lunar eclipses from different years.

For example, during the eclipse of July 6, 1982, the Moon had a reddish tint, and during the eclipse of January 06, 2000, it was slightly brownish. There are no blue or green solar eclipses because the Earth's atmosphere tends to scatter red rays to a greater extent.

Total lunar eclipses can differ in both color and brightness. To determine it, a special scale was developed, which was named after the famous French astronomer Andre Danjon. The gradation of this scale has 5 divisions:

• zero division means the darkest eclipse, when the Moon is barely visible in the sky;
• one means a dark gray eclipse, when some details become visible on the lunar surface;
• a two denotes a grayish eclipse with a brownish tint;
• a light reddish-brown eclipse is indicated by a three;
• during the last, brightest fourth type of eclipse, the moon becomes copper-red in color, during which all the main details on the surface of the lunar disk can be seen with the naked eye.

If the Moon’s orbit were in the ecliptic plane, then lunar and solar eclipses would be observed monthly. But, due to the fact that the Moon spends more time above or below the plane of the Earth's orbit, it falls into shadow only twice a year. The angle of inclination of the plane of the lunar orbit relative to the orbit of our planet is 5 degrees. Therefore, at moments when the Moon is located in a straight line between the Earth and the Sun, an eclipse occurs. During the new moon, the Moon blocks the sunlight, and during the full moon, it falls into the shadow of the Earth.

It happens that the gap between solar and lunar eclipses is small. There can be at least 2 lunar eclipses every year. Due to the fact that the lunar and earth's orbits are in different planes, the phases of eclipses may differ. Moreover, eclipses of the same phase are repeated with a certain periodicity. This period is called saros and is 6585⅓ days (18 years 11 days and 8 hours). Thus, knowing the time of the previous eclipse, you can determine with an accuracy of up to a minute when exactly the same next eclipse will occur in a particular area.

Such cyclicity is often used to determine the date and time of certain historical events described in old sources. The first total eclipse was described in ancient Chinese chronicles. After making certain calculations, scientists were able to find out that it dates back to January 29, 1136 BC. Information about three more eclipses is contained in the Almagest of Claudius Ptolemy and dates back to 04/19/721 BC, 04/08/720 AD. and 01.09.720 BC.

Lunar eclipses are mentioned quite often in historical chronicles. For example, the famous Athenian military leader Nicias was frightened by a lunar eclipse, panic began in his army, because of which the Athenians were defeated. After carrying out certain calculations, it was possible to establish the exact date of this event (08/27/413 BC).

A fairly well-known historical fact is the total lunar eclipse of 1504, which came to the aid of the expedition of Christopher Columbus. At that time they were in Jamaica and experienced difficulties with food and drinking water. Attempts to obtain provisions from the local Indians were unsuccessful. But Columbus knew for sure that a lunar eclipse would occur on the night of March 1st. He warned the leaders that if they did not deign to deliver drinking water and food to the travelers’ ship, he would steal the Moon from the sky. With the onset of darkness, when the Moon disappeared, the poorly educated Indians were very frightened and supplied the travelers with everything they needed. They begged for the heavenly body to be returned to them, to which Columbus agreed. Thus, the expedition managed to avoid starvation.

How to watch a lunar eclipse

The characteristics of lunar eclipses have already become available to you, but why are they so interesting to researchers? There are some scientific benefits to be gained from observing lunar eclipses. Scientists collect and record materials about the state of the structure of the Earth's shadow and the upper layers of the atmosphere. Amateur astronomers often photograph eclipses and make sketches of them, describing changes in the brightness of objects located on the lunar surface. The moments of the Moon touching the shadow and those when it leaves its limits are accurately recorded. The moments of contact of the shadow with the largest objects on the lunar surface are also noted. Observations can be made with the naked eye, using binoculars or a telescope. It is clear that the technique helps to more accurately record the results of observations.

In order to make observations most accurately, you need to set your telescope to maximum magnification, pointing it directly at the points of contact between the shadow and the lunar surface. This must be done in advance, a few minutes before the expected eclipse. Usually all results are recorded in a special journal of lunar eclipse observations.

The same photo exposure meter

If an amateur astronomer has at his disposal a photoexposure meter (a special device that allows one to measure the brightness of an object), he can independently plot the change in the brightness of the Moon’s disk throughout the entire eclipse. To do this correctly, it is necessary to install the device so that its sensitive element is directed towards the center of the lunar disk.

A lunar eclipse occurs exclusively during the full moon phase and can only be observed over half of the Earth's territory when the Moon is above the horizon. The moon serves as a symbol of the soul, emotions, and the ability to adapt to external circumstances. That is why it is so important to know what you should and should not do during such a phenomenon.

Lunar eclipse - what is it?

A lunar eclipse is a period when the Moon completely enters the cone of the shadow cast by the Earth. The moon does not have its own light, but its surface is capable of reflecting the sun's rays, so at night it always illuminates a dark road. During a umbra, our satellite turns red, which is why this phenomenon is often called a blood moon. It can be complete, when the shadow completely covers the Moon, or partial, when the Moon partially enters the Earth's shadow, one part of it remains dark, and the other is illuminated by the rays of the sun.

How does a lunar eclipse differ from a solar eclipse?

During solar darkening, the satellite completely or partially covers the solar disk. During a lunar eclipse, the Moon falls partially or completely into the cone-shaped shadow cast by the Earth, and instead of a bright disk, people see a dim reddish cloud. From an astronomical point of view, during a solar eclipse, a satellite comes between the Earth and the Sun, blocking sunlight from the Earth, meaning the Earth receives all the power of the Moon. During shadow darkening, the Earth becomes between the Sun and the Moon, it weakens the energy of the satellite, blocking the flow of solar energy.

There are certain conditions for the occurrence of lunar eclipses:

1. The Earth constantly casts a cone-shaped shadow from sunlight, this happens because the Sun is larger in size than the Earth. The satellite must pass in the shadow part of the Earth.
2. For darkening to occur, the Moon must be in the full moon phase; during the new moon, the phenomenon is impossible.

In one year, a lunar total eclipse can occur no more than three times. The full cycle of lunar eclipses repeats every eighteen years, and if the weather conditions are good, you will definitely be able to observe such a phenomenon. It can be observed with the naked eye, and the chances of seeing such a phenomenon are much greater than the solar one, because it repeats much more often.

How does a lunar eclipse occur?

During a lunar eclipse, the satellite's disk begins to gradually become obscured. When the entire visible surface of the satellite is already absorbed by the shadow, as shown by numerous descriptions of a lunar eclipse, the dark disk changes color from light yellow to red-brown. This color allows you to obtain valuable scientific data about the state of the atmosphere. It often caused bad associations and influenced the course of historical events. For example, in 1504, he helped the expedition of Christopher Columbus acquire provisions from the local Indians.

Causes of a lunar eclipse

Eastern sages learned why a lunar eclipse occurs. This phenomenon happens during the full moon. During this period, the Sun, satellite and Earth are in a certain order in this straight line. Even if the Earth completely blocks the light of the Sun from the surface of the satellite, it can still be seen. The Earth's atmosphere refracts sunlight and indirectly illuminates the Moon. And the Moon acquires such a mysterious hue because the earth’s atmosphere is permeable to the rays of the red spectrum. Clouds and dust particles can change the color of the satellite.

During what phase can a lunar eclipse be observed?

The phase of the Moon is the illumination of the satellite by sunlight, which changes periodically. Depending on the conditions of illumination of the Moon by the Sun, there are several phases:

• full moon;
• waning moon;
• new moon;
• growing moon.

A lunar eclipse is only possible during a full moon. The longest duration of such a phenomenon can be 108 minutes. There are times when the satellite is not visible at all, but the phenomenon can be observed wherever it is above the horizon. Shadow dimming accompanies solar dimming. So, for example, if there was a solar darkening during the New Moon phase, expect a total lunar eclipse on one of the next full moons.

Types of lunar eclipses

There are three types of darkening the night light:

1. Complete. It can only occur during a full moon, when the Moon passes through the center of the Earth's total shadow.
2. Partial lunar eclipse when the Earth's shadow obscures a small part of the Moon.
3. Penumbra. The full or partially illuminated part of the Moon passes through the Earth's penumbra.

How does a lunar eclipse affect people?

Since the Moon is considered a symbol of his subconscious, a celestial phenomenon can cause mental imbalance and increased emotionality. During this period, such a phenomenon may occur in society. People born during a lunar eclipse are most susceptible to this, which manifests itself in hysterics, crying, and whims. Everything that a person has accumulated inside himself on a subconscious level breaks out. During a shadow blackout, a person is guided not by the mind, but by feelings.

There are a number of people who are most susceptible to the harmful effects of darkening:

1. Hypertension increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases. Avoid physical activity.
2. Mentally unhealthy people. This phenomenon is called “Eclipse of the Soul,” all because the subconscious part wins over the conscious part, which is why many become overly emotional.
3. People who have previously been hypnotized.

Lunar eclipse - interesting facts

In ancient times, people did not know that darkening was a common phenomenon and were very scared when they saw a bloody red spot. This is because at that time science was not yet so developed; to narrow-minded people the heavenly body seemed something unusual, mythical. But although science has already figured out the reason for the occurrence of such a phenomenon, there are various interesting facts about a lunar eclipse:

1. Earth is the only place in the solar system where such a phenomenon can be seen.
2. Although a penumbral lunar eclipse occurs every eighteen years, there are people who have never seen such a phenomenon, due to their bad luck. For example, Canadian astronomer J. Campbell was unable to see the phenomenon due to bad weather.
3. Numerous studies by scientists have confirmed the fact that in 600 million years the satellite will move away from the Earth so much that it will no longer cover the Sun.
4. The satellite's shadow moves at a speed of 2 thousand kilometers per second.

What could be more immutable from the point of view of common sense than the daily cycle of luminaries in the sky? The solar disk, shining during the day, gives way to the pale glow of the Moon, and this happens every day for many years.


But one day a dark shadow suddenly creeps onto the clear Moon and absorbs it. Although the event lasts no longer than half an hour, after which the night luminary emerges from the darkness and shines again as if nothing had happened, it can make a depressing impression on those who know nothing about lunar eclipses.

In fact, there is nothing sinister or mystical about lunar eclipses; they are a common natural phenomenon that can be easily explained even to primary schoolchildren.

How does a lunar eclipse occur?

As we know, the Moon does not shine on its own. Its surface reflects the sun's rays, due to which this exquisite pale radiance arises, which poets love to sing about. , The Moon occasionally falls into the shadow cast by the Earth.

At these moments, a partial lunar eclipse occurs - the Earth's shadow can cover part of the lunar disk for several minutes. If the Moon completely enters the shadow of our planet, then we can observe a total lunar eclipse.


From the surface of the Earth, an eclipse appears as a round shadow gradually creeping onto the Moon and eventually absorbing the lunar disk. At the same time, the Moon does not disappear completely, but acquires a dark purple hue due to the refraction of the sun's rays. The shadow cast by the Earth is 2.5 times the area of ​​our satellite, so the Moon can be completely covered by it. After several minutes of complete darkness, the lunar disk gradually emerges from the shadow.

Conditions required for a lunar eclipse

In order for the Moon to be completely covered by the Earth's shadow, the Sun, Earth and our satellite must be on the same straight line, and the Moon must be located behind the Earth. At those moments when this condition is met, but the Moon is in front of our planet, solar, not lunar, eclipses occur. Unfortunately, the trajectories of the Earth and the Moon in their orbits are far from ideal, so they rarely line up in a straight line.

During one year, no more than three lunar eclipses can occur, and all of them can only be partial. Moreover, even partial eclipses do not happen every year. Observations may be hindered by bad weather, or the eclipse may only be observed on the opposite side of the Moon.


The full cycle of lunar eclipses repeats every 18 years - this means that if the sky is not covered by clouds, you can see a total lunar eclipse every 18 years.

By the way, the cyclical nature of eclipses often helps historians clarify the dates of certain events mentioned in the chronicles. Ancient chronicles necessarily noted every instance of an eclipse of the Moon or Sun. Since all of them are easily calculated by astronomers, the events that occurred at this time are easily tied to exact dates.

How can you see a lunar eclipse?

Not everyone has the opportunity to observe a lunar eclipse. Sometimes a person can live his whole life, but never see the mesmerizing spectacle of the disappearing Moon. But if you really want to observe this astronomical phenomenon with your own eyes, you just need to find a table of eclipses in an astronomy reference book or on one of the astronomical sites and select the nearest date when the lunar eclipse will be visible in the area where you live.


If you are lucky and there is good cloudless weather that night, nothing will stop you from admiring the beautiful and slightly creepy spectacle of the “consumption of the Moon”.