What is a Lunar Eclipse?

So many of us take the moon for granted, ignoring its many fascinating traits simply because we can look at it nightly.  While the moon’s beauty is frequently overlooked, it’s hard to resist gazing at it during a lunar eclipse event.  When a lunar eclipse takes place, we see the moon like we’ve never seen it before.

Despite how many lunar eclipses we’ve witnessed during our lives, many of us still don’t know exactly why this happens or how frequently it takes place.  Fortunately for you, we’re going to explain everything that you need to know about this stunning occurrence.  This way, you can watch the next eclipse with a fuller sense of appreciation for this extraordinary event. 

How Does a Lunar Eclipse Actually Happen?

The moon, as you may know, doesn’t actually possess any light properties.  When we see it shining brightly in the night sky, we’re seeing the light from the sun reflecting off of it.  Its orbit around our planet takes about 29.5 days and is separated into different phases, with each one giving the moon a different appearance from Earth.

A lunar eclipse only takes place when the moon is in its full phase.  The eclipse takes place because the moon is interfering with the shadow of our planet.

The reason why a lunar eclipse doesn’t take place whenever there’s a full moon is because of the fact that the moon’s orbit is not always in perfect alignment with the Earth’s orbit around the sun.

Now, there are 3 types of lunar eclipses:

• Penumbral: While the moon has passed through a part of the Earth’s shadow, this type of eclipse is almost impossible to see with your eyes because it’s so subtle.
• Partial: This occurs when the Earth is between the sun and the moon. Because the three objects are not in perfect alignment, you’ll see a large shadow covering a part of the moon.
• Total: This occurs when the entire moon is in the Earth’s shadow. This causes the moon to appear bright red, which is why it’s frequently referred to as a “blood moon.”

One thing that makes a lunar eclipse so special is that the majority of people on the Earth can see it.  Also, it tends to last for a few hours while solar eclipses tend to finish within minutes.  However, considering that a lunar eclipse only tends to take place between two and four times a year, you have to keep track of your calendar so that you don’t miss it.  The next eclipse will take place on July 16, 2019 and will be a partial eclipse.

If you wanna make the most of the next lunar eclipse event, we suggest that you invest in some high-quality long-distance binoculars.  This will allow you to catch the subtleties of the event so that you can better observe what is taking place.

Having a Deeper Understanding of Them

Once you start understanding what makes lunar eclipses so interesting, you’ll likely have more of an appreciation for this type of event when it actually does occur.