Witness the enchanting sight of the luminous worm moon illuminating the nighttime sky this Monday, offering a celestial spectacle to early risers in the wee hours – an impending penumbral lunar eclipse.
Known as the worm moon, the full moon in March, as labeled by the Farmers’ Almanac due to its proximity to the spring equinox, will reach its peak brilliance at 3 a.m. ET.
A few hours preceding this magical moment, commencing at 12:53 a.m. ET, as reported by EarthSky, the moon will align nearly perfectly with both the sun and Earth, resulting in the Earth’s shadow’s outer edge, the penumbra, casting a shadow on the resplendent moon.
The peak of the eclipse is anticipated at 3:12 a.m. ET, where the moon will exhibit a subtle darkening compared to its usual luminosity, confirmed by Dr. Shannon Schmoll, director of the Abrams Planetarium at Michigan State University.
Describing the eclipse’s effect, Schmoll expressed that a gradual dimming would occur from one side of the moon to the other, with no drastic alteration in its appearance. “It’ll be almost a gradient of darkening happening from one side of the moon to the other. It’s not going to be a super dramatic change in what we see in the moon,” Schmoll explained. “But if you’re sitting there watching it, you might notice some slight variations in brightness.”
Originated by Native American tribes, the worm moon symbolizes the emergence of beetle larvae and other creatures from hibernation in the spring, gracing the skies for several days with its mesmerizing presence across the globe.
Despite its visibility to all, the penumbral eclipse will exclusively be observable to those residing on the night side of Earth at the time, including regions in Europe, North and East Asia, Australia, Africa, North America, and South America. The lunar eclipse’s conclusion is expected at 5:33 a.m. ET, as indicated by EarthSky.
The penumbral eclipse precedes a total solar eclipse set to traverse Mexico, the United States, and Canada on April 8, forming part of a cyclical pattern where lunar and solar eclipses occur in pairs due to the alignment of the sun, Earth, and moon. While the penumbral eclipse will envelop the full moon in Earth’s shadow, the forthcoming new moon phase will pave the way for a solar eclipse, positioning the moon between the sun and Earth to block the sun’s face temporarily.
Encompassing an approximate 35-day cycle every six months near the equinoxes, an “eclipse season” entails a harmonious alignment of the celestial bodies requisite for eclipses, elucidated by NASA.
Contrary to popular belief, lunar eclipses do not transpire monthly during each full moon due to the moon’s orbital plane’s 5-degree tilt, resulting in the Earth’s shadow frequently passing above or below the moon, explained Schmoll.
Although less theatrical than a total lunar eclipse culminating in a chilling red hue, a penumbral eclipse exudes its own unique charm and mystique, amassing a dedicated fan base of skywatchers eagerly awaiting this celestial phenomenon.