Tonight, in Australia, a rare lunar event will turn the moon deep shades of red. This will be the last lunar eclipse for three years.
On November 8, everyone in the country will be able to see the eclipse, though the best time to see it will depend on where you live.
When the Sun, Earth, and Moon are all in the same place, the Moon moves into the shadow of the Earth. This is called a “blood moon.”
When the Earth’s shadow completely covers the moon, it will turn a deep red color. This is why it is called a “blood moon.”
The event starts at 8:09 p.m. on the east coast, and the total eclipse is expected to start at 9:16 p.m. In Queensland, it starts an hour earlier.
The event starts at 7:43 p.m. in South Australia, 6:42 p.m. in the Northern Territory, and 6:43 p.m. on the west coast.
Dr. Tanya Hill, an astronomer at the Melbourne Planetarium, told ABC that this “blood moon” will be the last lunar eclipse until 2025.
‘I love lunar eclipses because they happen at the same time for everybody, it’s just the time zone that changes things,’ Dr. Hill said.
‘We should get out to see this total lunar eclipse, because we won’t see another one in Australia until September 8, 2025.’
There are three parts to a “blood moon” eclipse: penumbral, partial, and total.
Penumbral phase
The eclipse starts with the penumbral phase, which is hard to see with the naked eye.
During this phase, the Moon moves through the outer shadow cast by the Earth.
After the total eclipse, the Moon moves back into the outer shadow of the Earth. This is the second penumbral phase.
Partial phase
When the Moon moves through the edge of the planet’s central shadow, this is called a partial phase.
During this phase, the Earth’s shadow slowly moves across the moon’s face, blocking the moon’s brightly lit center so that only a thin, glowing edge of the moon can be seen.
The partial phase lasts until the outer strip disappears completely and the Moon is completely in the Earth’s shadow. This is the start of the final phase.
The second partial phase starts when the moon starts to move out of Earth’s shadow again and a bright light starts to shine on its edge.
Total phase
When the Moon is completely in Earth’s shadow, this is called the “total phase.”
During this phase, the moon will look the darkest red, like blood.
