That was the case during the widely viewed event in September 2015, which marked the conclusion of a series of four consecutive total lunar eclipses! Such eclipse tetrads are not common - the last one occurred during 2003–04, but the next won’t begin until 2032. If the Moon goes all the way in, we see a total lunar eclipse that’s preceded and followed by partial phases. Three types of lunar eclipse are possible ( total, partial, and penumbral), depending on how deeply the full Moon plunges into or near the umbra, our planet’s dark, central shadow.Ī long-exposure image captured red hues on the portion of the Moon inside the umbra during the lunar eclipse on October 8, 2014. So since the last eclipse of 2022 occurred in early November, the first eclipse of 2023 doesn’t take place until April 20th. (The technical name for that, by the way, is syzygy.) And, as the diagram above implies, those alignments occur roughly a half year apart. These alignments don’t happen at every new and full Moon because the lunar orbit is tipped about 5° to Earth’s orbital plane - only occasionally do the Sun, Earth, and Moon line up exactly enough for an eclipse to occur. in August 2017, occurs only at new Moon, when the lunar disk passes directly between us and the Sun and consequently the Moon’s shadow falls somewhere on Earth’s surface.Ĭonversely, a lunar eclipse takes place during full Moon, when our satellite passes through Earth’s shadow. Eclipse “windows” occur six months apart.īefore describing this year’s individual events, let’s explore some eclipse basics.Ī solar eclipse, such as the one seen coast to coast across the U.S. You can find Tariq at and as the co-host to the This Week In Space podcast with space historian Rod Pyle on the TWiT network.Eclipses of the Sun or Moon can only occur when the Moon crosses the plane of Earth's orbit (orange circle) very close to the time of new or full Moon. He has journalism degrees from the University of Southern California and New York University. He is also an Eagle Scout (yes, he has the Space Exploration merit badge) and went to Space Camp four times as a kid and a fifth time as an adult. In October 2022, Tariq received the Harry Kolcum Award for excellence in space reporting from the National Space Club Florida Committee. Before joining, Tariq was a staff reporter for The Los Angeles Times covering education and city beats in La Habra, Fullerton and Huntington Beach. He became 's Managing Editor in 2009 and Editor-in-Chief in 2019. He covers human spaceflight, exploration and space science, as well as skywatching and entertainment. Tariq is the Editor-in-Chief of and joined the team in 2001, first as an intern and staff writer, and later as an editor. In 20, the moon will experience either partial lunar eclipse, when only part of the moon passes through the umbra, or an ever-so-slight penumbral eclipse, when the moon dips through the outermost layer of Earth's shadow, called the penumbra.Įditor's Note: If you snap an amazing lunar eclipse photo and would like to share it with 's readers, send your photo(s), comments, and your name and location to Tariq Malik at or follow him. 7, 2025, according to NASA's eclipse website. There will be a second total lunar eclipse that year as well, on Sept. 8 blood moon is the second total lunar eclipse of 2022 and follows the Super Flower Blood Moon eclipse in May. During a total lunar eclipse, the entire moon is in Earth's shadow, turning it a blood-red color with light that is refracted through Earth's atmosphere.Īccording to NASA, a total lunar eclipse occurs every 1.5 years or so, but multiple ones can occur in a year. When it passes through only part of Earth's shadow, it creates a partial lunar eclipse. Since the moon's orbit around Earth as a tilt, it doesn't pass through the darkest part of Earth's shadow, called the umbra, every month. This sends the moon into Earth's shadow, blocking the sunlight that typically illuminates the moon as seen from Earth's surface. Total lunar eclipses occur when the moon passes behind Earth with respect to sun. November full moon 2022: Full Beaver Blood Moon gets a total lunar eclipse What are lunar eclipses and how do they occur? Lunar eclipses 2022: When, where & how to see them
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