Now it is the Moon’s turn to "disappear" — almost the entire lunar surface will "hide" from Thursday into Friday, August 27–28 — as much as 96%, making this partial eclipse especially deep, AP reports, writes UNN.
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After North and South America were unable to observe a total solar eclipse this month, they will now have the best seats in the celestial arena as Earth’s shadow briefly envelops the Moon.
The Moon is already in the spotlight. In April, NASA sent Artemis II astronauts on a record flyby of the Moon, a prelude to a subsequent landing on the surface and the construction of a base inhabited by humans and robots over the next few years.
"Now is a great time to be part of the space program, isn’t it? We’re not slowing down," NASA astronaut Jack Hathaway told the Associated Press from the International Space Station last week.
This is the second act of the biggest show in the Solar System, taking place two weeks after a total solar eclipse passed across Greenland, Iceland, and Spain.
Eclipses always occur in pairs because the Sun, Moon, and Earth align so precisely that one blocks another. This happens because the Moon is 400 times smaller than the Sun, which is 400 times farther away, making them appear to be the same size — a cosmic coincidence and a gift from the Universe.
The upcoming lunar eclipse, unfolding at a much more leisurely pace, will attract far more viewers than the European solar spectacle. The lunar eclipse will be visible to billions of people in North and South America, Europe, Africa, and the Middle East, weather permitting.
The lunar eclipse may also be visible to Hathaway and nine other people beyond the planet — seven astronauts on the International Space Station and three aboard China’s orbital station.
Space provides a "unique perspective" for observing cosmic wonders such as eclipses and auroras, said space station commander Jessica Meir. In this case, Earth will pass between the Moon and the Sun, casting a reddish-orange shadow on our nearest neighbor. Because this is a partial eclipse, the shadow’s edge will not be perfect, and it will not be a true "blood moon." The partial phase of the eclipse will last more than three hours. But the entire eclipse, from the moment the full Moon enters the faintest, outermost edge of Earth’s shadow until it exits, will last 5 1/2 hours.
The eclipse will peak just after midnight EDT (07:00 Kyiv time).
Nearly 1 billion people in the United States, Canada, Central and South America will be able to watch the eclipse from the front row. More than 3 billion people — 44% of the world’s population — will be able to see at least part of it.
The eclipsed Moon will set in Europe, Africa, and the Middle East, cutting the spectacle short. It will rise in Hawaii, resulting in a delayed eclipse in the eastern Pacific, as well as in the northwestern parts of the United States and Canada.
This is the second lunar eclipse of the year and the fourth eclipse overall. A total lunar eclipse was observed over the Americas, Australia, and East Asia in March.
The next total lunar eclipse will not occur until New Year’s Eve 2028, with Asia and Australia taking center stage. And stargazers in North and South America will have to wait until 2029.
A total solar eclipse, which occurs once every 400 years, was seen in Europe13.08.26, 02:05