Stargazers across the world will get to see a partial lunar eclipse on Tuesday, July 19, coinciding with the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 launch that put Neil Armstrong as the first man on the moon. Lunar eclipses occur when the Earth lines up between the Sun and the Moon. Only part of the moon’s surface is covered by the Earth’s shadow during a partial lunar eclipse as the three celestial bodies do not align perfectly. That means the rest of the moon is covered by the penumbra, the outer part of the Earth’s shadow.
Tonight’s partial eclipse will be visible across Europe, most of Asia, Africa, the Middle East, South America and some parts of North America.
In Saudi Arabia, the partial lunar eclipse will be visible once night falls. The times are as follows for Riyadh (all times AST):
9.43pm: Penumbral Eclipse starts
11.01pm: Partial Eclipse begins
12.30am: Maximum Eclipse
1.59am: Partial Eclipse ends
3.17am: Penumbral Eclipse ends
READ MORE: NASA BREAKTHROUGH: WHY SATURN’S MOON IS ‘LEAKING SALTY WATER INTO SPACE’
Conditions are expected to be clear tonight affording skywatchers a good opportunity to watch the eclipse.
You do not need any special equipment to watch the Half-Blood Thunder Moon as long as you are in an area with no obstructions.
Dr Morgan Hollis from the Royal Astronomical Society explains: “You’re looking for anywhere that has a low unobstructed horizon, no tall buildings and trees in the way.”
Unlike solar eclipses, it is completely safe to look at the moon with the naked eye.
READ MORE: MOON LANDING HEARTBREAK: NEIL ARMSTRONG’S SINGLE BIGGEST REGRET ABOUT SPACE RACE REVEALED
You can also use binoculars and a telescope but there is no need to use special equipment.
If you cannot get outside then Timeand.date.com will run a lifestream of the entire partial lunar eclipse in its five-and-a-half entirety. https://www.timeanddate.com/live/
Why is tonight’s lunar eclipse called a Half-Blood Thunder Moon?
The Half-Blood Thunder Moon gets its name from the combination of two things.
READ MORE: NASA MOON TUNES PLAYLIST: CELEBRATE APOLLO 11 ANNIVERSARY WITH THESE MOON-THEMED TUNES
Thunder Moon is the nickname for any full moon falling in the month of July, a tradition dating back to early Native American tribes.
The Old Farmer’s Almanac says July’s full moon gets its nickname “because thunderstorms are so frequent during this month”.
Other nicknames include Hay, Buck or Mead Moon.
Full moons are generally referred to as blood moons because of their coppery red tint during a full eclipse so a partial lunar eclipse is a half-blood moon.
Therefore, we have a Half-Blood Thunder Moon.
Source: Read Full Article