We should consider ourselves so lucky to be able to delight our eyes with many wonders emerging on the night sky. Our planet is positioned at the right place, and our existence was possible due to a number of stunning factors that we don’t even know them all. But science keeps searching for answers, and we can hope that one day we’ll uncover all the secrets of the Universe in general and of life in particular.
The Moon has been our faithful companion for millennia, as it’s visible on the sky even during the daytime. But our natural satellite becomes more dominant than ever during the night, when our precious Sun leaves the scene until morning. Today on June 5, we have the chance to see the Moon in its penumbral eclipse, and the view may conquer us forever.
Livestream through Virtual Telescope Project
Although the June lunar eclipse isn’t visible from the North American territories, the Virtual Telescope Project will live stream the event from Italy. You can remember to visit the project’s web TV page to join in at noon PT on Friday, June 5. Here’s the link: https://www.virtualtelescope.eu/webtv/
The “strawberry” nickname for the appearance of the Moon in June doesn’t refer to a color, but it’s more likely an old reference to the strawberry harvest season.
What is a penumbral eclipse
Penumbral eclipses emerge when the Moon is passing through the Earth’s weakest shadow, and that is the penumbra. NASA provides some simple explanations:
Earth’s penumbral shadow forms a diverging cone that expands into space in the anti-solar direction.
From within this zone, Earth blocks part but not the entire disk of the Sun.
Thus, some fraction of the Sun’s direct rays continues to reach the most deeply eclipsed parts of the Moon during a penumbral eclipse.
Are you also eager to enjoy the sight of the June lunar eclipse?
