Throwing shade on the Moon
The Might 2022 total lunar eclipse would be the darkest since that of Dec. 9/10, 1992, which occurred after the highly effective 1991 Mount Pinatubo eruption within the Philippines. On the Danjon scale of brightness and coloration (from L = 0 to 4, with 0 being the darkest and least colourful), the December 1992 totality had a Danjon worth of L = 0.5 to 1.0. For the Might 2022 occasion, David Levy of Vail, Arizona, estimated a Danjon worth of L = 1.5. Harvard College astronomer Dan Inexperienced, observing in St. Louis, Missouri, discovered the eclipse at mid-totality to be about magnitude –1.5 (or roughly as brilliant as Sirius) — fairly the drop from the Full Moon’s magnitude of –12.8.
Might’s significantly darkish totality was brought on by the Moon’s passage by way of the southern half of Earth’s shadow, the place refracted daylight was dimmed by aerosols injected into the stratosphere by the January 2022 Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha‘apai eruption. The dimming impact could possibly be spied throughout the penumbral phases, when it was solely 36 % eclipsed; normally it’s first detected when the Moon is about 60 % eclipsed.
In the course of the umbral phases, an almost uniform burnt sienna coloration washed over the Moon’s face with little different coloration noticeable. By way of a telescope, the umbra’s vanguard appeared metal blue virtually all through your complete umbral phases; this impact is because of gentle passing by way of Earth’s higher stratosphere and penetrating the ozone layer, which absorbs crimson gentle — thus making that part of the shadow seem blue.
Come totality, nonetheless, the Moon’s excessive southern limb (that farthest away from the umbra’s heart) glowed the colour of straw below a setting Solar, whereas the Moon’s southern highlands took on a rusty shade. To the unaided eyes, the Moon’s northern half (closest to the umbra) virtually vanished into the background sky as mid-totality neared, making totality appear as if a burning model of the letter C.
By the best way, on Oct. 25, a partial solar eclipse occured, favoring Europe, South and West Asia, and northeast Africa. A total lunar eclipse adopted Nov. 7/8, which favored the Americas, north and east Europe, Asia, Australia, and a part of Antarctica. In the event you made a curious statement, ship it to sjomeara31@gmail.com.
