A lunar eclipse will coincide with the May 2023 Full Flower Moon.
On Friday (May 5) at 11:15 a.m. EDT (1515 GMT), the lunar eclipse will begin when the moon enters the outer edge of Earth’s shadow. This particular type of lunar eclipse is called a penumbral, which means that sky watchers can see the face of the moon darken without completely disappearing. The event will reach its peak at 1:24 pm EDT (1724 GMT), two hours after its start, and end at 3:32 pm EDT (1932 GMT) when Earth’s shadow leaves the Moon again.
Unfortunately for those in the Western Hemisphere, this phenomenon can only be seen from Australia, Antarctica, East Africa, Oceania and Asia. Fortunately, the Virtual Telescope Project will provide free live streaming of the total lunar eclipse Friday (May 5) begins at 2:45 pm EDT (1845 GMT).. Live broadcast will be available on Project website (opens in new tab) Or YouTube channel (opens in new tab).
Related: Lunar Eclipses 2023: When, Where and How to See Them
read more: A lunar eclipse is coming on May 5. Here’s what you need to know
Like all lunar eclipses, this event involves the Sun, Earth, and Moon being in a straight line. The Earth is in the middle of this arrangement, meaning it casts a shadow on the Moon’s face as it blocks the Sun’s light.
This particular eclipse is called a penumbral eclipse, named after the part of the Earth’s shadow that appears on the Moon. The umbra is the darkest, innermost part of the shadow, while the penumbra is the lightest part that is not completely dark.
That means this eclipse won’t be as dramatic as a total eclipse, in which the face of the Moon goes completely dark. Instead, skywatchers should see a dark gray or brown shadow across part of the moon’s face, covering up to 94.6% of the moon at the peak of the eclipse.
Lunar eclipses can provide interesting observations of the Moon’s features as the Earth’s shadow moves across it. If you don’t have everything you need to see the moon up close during an eclipse or any other time, our guides to the best binoculars and the best binoculars are a great place to start.
In the meantime, if you live where you can see the penumbral lunar eclipse on May 5 and want to photograph it, don’t miss our guide on how to photograph the lunar eclipse.
If you need some tips on how to photograph the night sky in general, check out our guide on how to photograph the moon and the best cameras for astrophotography and the best lenses for astrophotography.
