On the night of August 27-28, a partial lunar eclipse will be visible throughout the country. This event follows a total solar eclipse that occurred in Iceland, Spain, and part of Portugal about two weeks ago. The upcoming partial lunar eclipse will have a significant coverage of 93 percent at its peak.
Lunar eclipses happen when the moon passes through Earth’s shadow, known as the umbra. Before entering the umbra, the moon first moves through the penumbra, Earth’s outer and fainter shadow. However, the penumbra is challenging to see with the naked eye due to its dimness.
Most regions in Canada will witness the entire eclipse duration, with Western Canada catching the partial eclipse as the moon rises. Unlike a solar eclipse, watching a lunar eclipse does not require any protective eyewear, and it unfolds over several hours rather than minutes.
The eclipse will commence as the moon enters Earth’s penumbra at around 10 p.m. ET, although the visible phase starts at 10:33 p.m. ET on August 27 and concludes at 1:52 a.m. on August 28. The deepest part of the eclipse will occur at 12:13 a.m., darkening almost the entire moon.
This celestial event is part of various astronomical occurrences this month. Elaina Hyde, director of the department of physics and astronomy at York University’s Allan I. Carswell Observatory in Toronto, mentioned the partial solar eclipse on August 12, the Perseids meteor shower, and the Jupiter-Mercury conjunction as highlights of August.
Regarding the eclipse’s appearance, while it won’t turn entirely red due to its partial nature, viewers in Canada can expect a reddish hue based on their location. Lunar eclipses are easily observable with the naked eye, but binoculars, a small telescope, or a smartphone camera with a good night mode can enhance the viewing experience and capture quality images.