STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — Skywatchers will be treated to more than just a full moon on Sunday night. It will be the final lunar eclipse of 2020 -- the moment when the moon passes through part of the Earth’s shadow.
All of North America, weather-permitting, will be able to view the celestial alignment on Sunday night into the early hours of Monday morning, according to AccuWeather.com.
The lunar eclipse will occur during November’s full moon, called the “Beaver Moon,” because it’s the time of the year when beavers retreat into their lodges for the winter, according to the Old Farmer’s Almanac.
The final astronomy event of the month will be a penumbral lunar eclipse, similar to the eclipse that took place in July in the skies above North America. During a penumbral lunar eclipse, the moon passes through the Earth’s outer shadow, called the penumbra, and misses the darker inner shadow, known as the umbra, the weather service stated.
This is different from a total lunar eclipse when the entire moon passes through the darker umbra.
WHAT WILL THE LUNAR ECLIPSE LOOK LIKE?
According to AccuWeather.com, a penumbral lunar eclipse can be underwhelming if you’re expecting a dramatic change in the way the moon looks, like a total lunar eclipse. Instead of the entire moon going dark on Sunday night, only the top portion of the moon will appear dimmer than normal.
The slight change in the moon’s appearance can be difficult to spot, and people gazing at the moon may be unaware there is an eclipse occurring. They may not even detect the change in the moon’s brightness, according to the weather service.
This eclipse should be a bit more noticeable than the one in July, as more of the moon will be passing through the Earth’s shadow. But it may only be noticeable around the middle of the eclipse event.
WHEN TO SEE IT
The entire eclipse will last around four and a half hours, starting around 2:32 a.m. Eastern on Monday and ending around 6:53 a.m. However, it’s best to witness it around mid-eclipse, which occurs at 4:43 a.m. Eastern, according to timeanddate.com.
If you aren’t awake that early, you can step outside on Sunday evening or just before sunrise on Monday morning to see the full moon shine.
WILL I GET A GOOD VIEW?
According to AccuWeather.com, onlookers across much of the eastern United States won’t be able to get a good view of the lunar eclipse — as a far-reaching storm will bring clouds and rain.
You can check out timeanddate.com’s livestream of the lunar eclipse.
IF YOU MISS IT
But don’t fret if you miss your chance to view the eclipse. You’ll have to wait six more months to see the moon go completely dark, as total lunar eclipse will be viewable.
The impressive total lunar eclipse will occur on the night of May 25 into the early hours of May 26, when the moon will pass through the Earth’s inner shadow, the umbra.
This may also be referred to as a ‘blood moon eclipse’ as the moon can turn rusty orange or red in color as it passes through the umbra, according to AccuWeather.com.
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