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During the next two weeks there will be two eclipses on the astronomical agenda. The main event, of course, will be the Great North American Eclipse on April 8 which will extend from the Pacific coast of Mexico, to Texas and across the southern and eastern parts of the United States and Atlantic Canada, before coming to an end in the northern Atlantic Ocean.
But two weeks before the total solar eclipse, during the night hours of March 24-25, it will be the moon’s turn to undergo an eclipse; a prelude to the big event coming up in early April. That last full moon before the total solar eclipse, March’s Worm Moon, will slip silently into Earth’s outer shadow, known as the penumbra.
The continents of North and South America are in the best position to view this lunar eclipse, as it occurs high in their sky as the night of March 24 transitions into March 25. It will take 4 hours and 40 minutes for the moon to slide over the pale surface. outer fringe (penumbra) of the Earth’s shadow, without ever reaching the dark umbra of the shadow.
Related: Full Moon in March 2024: the Worm Moon is eclipsed
Read more: Lunar eclipses 2024: when, where and how to see them
Both the lunar and solar eclipses are, of course, related. A solar eclipse can only occur when the Moon is at a node in its orbit. (The nodes are the two points where the moon’s path in the sky intersects the sun’s path, called the ecliptic). During the solar eclipse on April 8, the Moon will cross the ecliptic from south to north. But half an orbit earlier, on March 24 and 25, the Moon will cross the opposite node from north to south, meeting the Earth’s shadow. The period of time in which this geometry can allow eclipses to occur is called “eclipse season” and in this case it runs from March 16 to April 23. All of this is a good example of how an eclipse season works.
In this particular case the moon is going to pass very deep into the twilight. In fact, at the time of the deepest/greatest eclipse phase (7:12 UT), the penumbra will reach an extent of 95.8 percent across the entire lunar disk. Put another way, the Moon’s lower extremity will be 453 kilometers (282 miles) away from the invisible edge of Earth’s umbra.
However, penumbral eclipses are quite subtle events that are often difficult to detect; the shadow is pale. In fact, the first contact with the penumbral shadow is almost impossible to detect. But just over an hour later, those with exceptionally keen perception could detect a very faint shadow on the moon’s lower left extremity.
For about half an hour either side of the time of maximum eclipse, at least 70 percent of the moon’s diameter will be immersed in shadow; a clear decrease in light corresponding to a “stained” or “dirty” appearance; Then a slight gray tone should be quite visible on the underside of the moon.
However, it is true that this is a rather disappointing development.
Schedule
Our calendar below provides the timing of key eclipse events for five time zones: Eastern, Central, Mountain, Pacific, and Hawaii. All times correspond to the calendar date of March 25, except when accompanied by an asterisk.
in which case the calendar date is March 24.
| Penumbral lunar eclipse calendar for March 24-25 | Event | EDT | CDT | MDT | PDT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HST | The moon enters the darkness | 00:53 | 23:53* | 22:53* | 21:53* |
| 18:53* | Does a slight stain appear? | 2:38 am | 1:38 am | 00:38 | 23:38* |
| 20:38* | ‘Darkest’ maximum eclipse | 3:12 a.m. | 2:12 a.m. | 1:12 a.m. | 00:12 |
| 21:12* | Does a slight stain disappear? | 3:46 a.m. | 2:46 am | 1:46 a.m. | 00:46 |
| 21:46* | Moon leaves darkness | 5:32 a.m. | 4:32 a.m. | 3:32 a.m. | 2:32 a.m. |
23:32*
The penumbral eclipse of the moon
It might be easier to understand why Earth’s penumbral shadow is so faint by imagining actually being on the Moon when Monday’s event takes place. An astronaut on the moon during this time will see a solar eclipse, but it would all depend on where on the moon our hypothetical moonwalker is.
Near the moon’s upper limb is the region known as Mare Frigoris, the “Sea of Cold.” From here, the Earth’s silhouette will appear to take a small notch on the top of the sun; just enough to cause a noticeable dimming of light in the surrounding lunar landscape. This is why the top of the full moon will appear to shine normally.
Instead, seen from Tycho, the famously bright lunar impact crater whose rays make it look like a sunflower on the southern side of the Moon, the Earth will appear to cover more than nine-tenths the diameter of the Sun; Consequently, the bright solar illumination of the surrounding lunar landscape will become considerably gloomier.
(Image credit: Wikimedia Commons/Giuseppe Donatiello)
Upcoming attractions Another lunar eclipse is scheduled for later this summer. On the afternoon of September 17,The moon will slip through the bottom of Earth’s shadow
, with its upper extremity giving a glancing blow to the dark threshold shadow of the Earth. In the most intense eclipse, 8.5 percent of the moon’s diameter will be inside the umbra, giving the impression that the top of the moon is slightly dented. Next year, on the night of March 13-14, 2025, the moon will undergo a total eclipse. For 65 minutes,The moon will be completely immersed in the Earth’s shadow
; It’s always a very interesting and usually colorful show. Once again, America will have a front row seat, with all the action taking place high in the late winter sky; during the pre-dawn hours in the East and around midnight in the West.
Mark your calendars!
If you’re interested in taking photos of the full worm moon penumbral lunar eclipse, check out our helpful guide on how to photograph the moon for the best lunar photography tips and tricks. We also have guides on the best cameras for astrophotography and the best lenses for astrophotography if you need to prepare for this or other celestial events. Joe Rao serves as an instructor and guest lecturer at New York University.Hayden Planetarium . Write about astronomy duringnatural history magazine he Farmers’ Almanac
and other publications.