lunar eclipses.key

LUNAR ECLIP SES
Credit: Johannes Schedler
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
SAFETY
ANATOMY OF A LUNAR ECLIPSE
PENUMBRAL ECLIPSES
PARTIAL ECLIPSES
TOTAL ECLIPSES
REVIEW ECLIPSE TYPES
DANJON SCALE
NEXT ECLIPSES
MORE
Credit: Johannes Schedler
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SAFETY
Lunar eclipses are perfectly
safe to view without protection.
You can use your eyes, binoculars
or telescopes.
Be patient, it takes time for
the lunar disc to change color.
Credit: Johannes Schedler
Credit: starrynight.com
ANATOMY OF AN ECLIPSE
Umbra
Penumbra
Frontal view of Earth’s shadow.
A lunar eclipse happens when Earth comes between the Sun and
the Moon, projecting its shadow onto our satellite. Shadows come
in 2 forms: the penumbra which is the outmost and is partlyshaded; and the umbra, which is the innermost and is fully-shaded.
PENUMBRAL ECLIPSE
Umbra
Penumbra
Penumbral eclipses can be total, when the whole Moon
enters the penumbra; or partial, when a fraction of the Moon
enters the penumbra. They are difficult to detect because
the Moon only changes its brightness a bit.
Example of a partial penumbral eclipse.
Credit: Hong Kong Space Museum
PARTIAL ECLIPSE
Umbra
Penumbra
Partial umbral eclipses take place when a fraction of the
Moon enters the umbra, and of course, in its way it also
enters the penumbra. When in the umbra, the lunar disc will
change color or become very dark.
Example of a partial umbral eclipse.
Credit: Rodney Pommier
TOTAL ECLIPSE
Umbra
Penumbra
Total umbral eclipses take place when all of the Moon enters
the umbra, and of course, in its way also the penumbra.
When in the umbra, the lunar disc will change color or
become very dark.
Example of a total umbral eclipse.
REVIEW ECLIPSE TYPES
Credit: Tom Ruen / Wikipedia
Review of lunar eclipse types
DANJON SCALE
1
2
3
4
5
During the maximum of a total umbral eclipse we can see
what color the lunar disc has taken and assign a value
according to the Danjon Scale.
Credit: Tim Trott
DANJON SCALE
0
very dark totality, with the Moon almost invisible
1
dark/gray/brownish, details distinguishable with difficulty
2
deep red/rust, very dark central shadow, bright outer edge
3
brick-red with a bright or yellow rim
4
bright copper-red/orange, with a bluish & very bright rim
NEXT ECLIPSES
Visible in the continental USA
Date
Type
March 23, 2016
penumbral
February 11, 2017
penumbral
January 31, 2018
total
MORE
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