Super Flower Moon will feature total eclipse
Although this event will actually occur on the first day of my column for the week of May 16-22, I want to give you, my readers, a heads-up to this event, as it will be occuring during the overnight period of May 15-16, several hours or days before any of you will see that particular week's column in your local newspaper.
During the overnight period of May 15-16, we will have an opportunity of witnessing a unique celestial event — a total supermoon eclipse.
On May 16, the moon will be at perigee (its closest approach to Earth — 362,127 kilometres). May's full moon, referred to as the Flower Moon, for the flowers that often begin to bloom in many parts of the country at this time of the year, also occurs on that date, at 1:15 a.m. ADT (1:45 a.m. NDT), making it a supermoon — when the full moon is at least within 70 per cent of its perigee to the Earth.
For us here in the Atlantic Region, the moon will rise in the eastern evening sky around 8:19 p.m. on the 15th, just as the sun sets in the west, and will be visible all night, not setting until around 5:47 a.m. on the 16th (remember to check the moonrise/set times for your area at https:www.timetable. com/moon/canada).
This will afford us a great opportunity, weather permitting, to see this amazing phenomenon.
Lunar eclipses occur when the full moon passes through the Earth's shadow cast into space by the sun. This shadow is actually a twozoned shadow, much like a two-circle bull's eye on an archery target. The outer, much lighter-coloured, circle or zone is referred to as the penumbral shadow, while the inner, darker area (the target's bull's eye) is referred to as the umbral shadow.
Each calendar year has a number of both solar and lunar eclipses, with the latter being more common than the former. Eclipses of the sun and moon usually come in pairs, with a solar eclipse most often occuring two weeks before or after a lunar eclipse.
The partial solar eclipse of April 30, 2022 (unfortunately not visible here in Atlantic Canada) is an example.
If the moon passes only through the Earth's penumbral shadow, or only partially through the umbral shadow, it is called a partial eclipse. When the moon passes completely through the umbral shadow, it is known as a total eclipse, which is what we will have on the 16th.
The lunar eclipse commences on May 15, when the moon touches the outer edge of the Earth's penumbral shadow at 10:32:05 p.m. ADT (11:02:05 p.m. NDT). Partial eclipse occurs at 11:27:52 p.m. ADT (11:57:52 p.m. NDT) when the moon is within the penumbral shadow.
Most often, there is no noticeable difference in the colour of the moon at this point.
The full lunar eclipse commences at 12:29:03 a.m. ADT (12:59:03 a.m. NDT) on May 16, when the Moon enters the umbral shadow; and an apparent change in the colour of the moon starts to take place.
Maximum eclipse (referred to as totality occurs at 1:11:26 a.m. ADT (1:41:26 a.m. NDT) on the 16th, when the moon is 100 per cent within the Earth's darker umbral shadow.
It is at this point in the eclipse when the moon will usually appear an orangishred or coppery colour and, upon occasion, blood-red (thus the phrase blood moon), due to sunlight passing through and being refracted by the Earth's atmosphere towards the moon. The more high-altitude cloud cover or dust (usually from volcanic activity) within the Earth's atmosphere at the time of the eclipse, the more the blue portion of the Sun's light spectrum gets scattered and, subsequently, the more the red end of the spectrum gets through to the Moon's surface, and is reflected back to our eyes.
The lunar eclipse then begins to reverse itself, as the moon begins to exit the umbral shadow by 1:53:55 a.m. ADT (2:23:55 a.m. NDT); partial eclipse occurs at 2:55:07 a.m. ADT (3:25:07 a.m. NDT), with the moon once again within the penumbral shadow, and the eclipse ends when the moon exits the penumbral shadow by 3:50:49 a.m. ADT (4:20:49 a.m. NDT).
The entire lunar eclipse event will last five hrs. and 19 mins., with totality lasting one hr. and 25 mins.
So, if you have the opportunity and the weather cooperates, try to get out and watch at least some portion of the eclipse. You don't need any equipment, although binoculars or a telescope will enhance to view of the moon during the eclipse.
Remember to take your camera along.
THIS WEEK'S SKIES
Mercury (magnitude +0.9, in Taurus — the Bull) is visible for a brief period in the western evening sky as the glow of the setting sun begins to give away to the approaching dusk, before dropping to the horizon and setting by 9:50 p.m.
Saturn (magnitude +0.9, in Capricornus — the Sea Goat) is the first planet up in the pre-dawn sky, rising in the east-southeast around 3 a.m., and reaching 18 degrees above the southeast horizon before fading from view shortly after 5 a.m.
Mars (magnitude +0.9, in Aquarius — the Waterbearer) follows Saturn up in the east-southeast around 3:55 a.m., reaching 11 degrees above the eastern horizon before succumbing to the approaching dawn around 5 a.m.
Jupiter (magnitude -2.1, in Pisces — the Fish) is next up, rising in the east around 4:20 a.m., reaching 12 degrees above the horizon before fading from sight by about 5:25 a.m.
Last to rise is Venus, our morning star, (magnitude -4.1, in Pisces) in the east about 4:35 a.m., but only reaching nine degrees above the horizon before disappearing into the dawn brightness by 5:25 a.m.
Until next week, clear skies.
EVENTS
■ May 9: moon at first quarter
■ May 15: total supermoon eclipse begins at 10:32 p.m.
■ May 16: Full Flower Moon; at perigee (closest approach to Earth) after midnight
■ May 16: Maximum total lunar eclipse occurs at 1:11 a.m.