Skygazers, gear up to feast your eyes on a sight that combines a full moon and a lunar eclipse! The second penumbral lunar eclipse of 2020, known as the Strawberry Moon Eclipse, will take place between 5th and 6th June, and it will be visible in most parts of Asia, Africa, Australia and North America. In India, the eclipse will begin around 11:15 PM on 5th June and will continue till about 2:34 AM on 6th June. It will be visible in its full form on the second day, at around 12:54 AM. The total duration of the eclipse will be nearly three hours and 18 minutes. Read on for the details.
A Penumbral Lunar Eclipse – The Strawberry Moon
During the lunar eclipse, the Earth comes midway of the sun and the moon, casting a shadow over the moon. Lunar eclipses are of three types- total lunar eclipse, partial lunar eclipse and penumbral lunar eclipse. A penumbral lunar eclipse takes place when the moon gets immersed in the Earth’s penumbral cone without touching the umbra. As per reports, in the Strawberry Moon Eclipse, almost 57 percent of the moon will move into the penumbra of the Earth. As the moon will pass into the outer part of the Earth’s shadow, it might look comparatively fainter.
The name ‘Strawberry Moon’ is derived from the red colour of the ripe strawberry fruit. The June’s full moon is also alternatively called the ‘Hot Moon or ‘Rose Moon’.
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2020 Has Four Penumbral Lunar Eclipses
The year 2020 has a total of four penumbral lunar eclipses. The first penumbral lunar eclipse of the year has already taken place between 10th and 11th January. The next two are supposed to occur from 4th June to 5th June ( Thunder Moon Eclipse) and from 29th November to 30th November. The year will also witness two solar eclipses, one on 21st June and the other on 14th December. Apart from these, 4 amazing celestial events happened in the month of May, including the Last Super Moon of 2020. Also, the biggest and brightest Super Pink Moon was visible from the Earth on 8th April.
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So, guys, mark your date and time right now to witness the spectacular sky event!