How to See a Frosty Moon Eclipse and a Gorgeous Full Moonrise Next Week

How to See a Frosty Moon Eclipse and a Gorgeous Full Moonrise Next Week

(Source travelandleisure.com) If you’ve ever seen any kind of eclipse of the sun, you’ve stood in the shadow of the moon. But have you ever seen Earth’s shadow on the moon? That’s exactly what’s going to be possible in the early hours of Monday, Nov. 30, 2020 when the full Frosty Moon (also called a Beaver Moon) drifts into Earth’s shadow in space. Here’s everything you need to know about the penumbral lunar eclipse visible from all of North America. Earth always projects a shadow in space, but only when the sun, Earth, and moon line up can a total lunar eclipse be caused. Another definition of that line-up is a full moon, which is the only time the sun is opposite the moon and so illuminates 100% of its surface as seen from Earth. 

A full moon occurs every month, of course, but only occasionally is the syzygy so perfect that the moon moves into the Earth’s shadow. In this case it’s Earth’s fuzzy outer shadow, its penumbra, that the moon will cross into. The visual effect will be of a gradual darkening of exactly 83% of the full moon, which will change from a bright, white orb in the night sky to a muted, dim grey object for a few hours. It’s an odd sight and a great time to take a photo of our natural satellite. 

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