Lunar eclipse near Centro Ciência Viva de Constância

The Centro Ciência Viva de Constância will be open from Sunday evening to Monday, May 15 to 16, from 3:00 to 6:00, to accompany the total lunar eclipse, with observations and images of the various phases of the moon. phenomenon through telescopes and, at the same time, will be broadcast live, with comments about the various phases of the eclipse, through the social network Facebook.

During the day of Monday, May 16 – “International Day of Light” and “National Day of Scientists” – a recording of the event will be available, as well as another one dedicated to the study of our natural satellite and the scientific information that Sunlight reflected. from the lunar surface continues to provide even without people on the moon.

The Lisbon Astronomical Observatory explains that the Moon begins to enter the Earth’s penumbra at 2:31 a.m. and from that moment on, the Moon gradually darkens, acquiring more gray tones. Then at 3:28 the Moon begins to enter the Earth’s shadow, taking on more reddish and brownish tones.

The beginning of the total eclipse is at 4:29 am, when the Moon is completely in the cone of the Earth’s shadow. Although the Moon is completely in shadow, it is still visible, but has a reddish and brownish color. In fact, during a lunar eclipse, the sun’s rays hit the moon after crossing the Earth’s atmosphere, where they scatter and lose a large amount of blue and green light. Thus, during an eclipse, the Moon is illuminated not with white, but with a more reddish light.

The maximum eclipse occurs at 5:12 am, when the Moon is in the center of the Earth’s shadow. The moment of the full moon phase comes in just 2 minutes at 5:14 am. At 5:54 a.m., the total eclipse ends, meaning the Moon begins to leave its shadow, gradually losing its reddish tint and acquiring a dark gray hue. Finally, at 7:52 am, the Moon completely leaves the penumbra, returning to its usual hue, but by this time the Moon will already be below the horizon.

The next total lunar eclipse will occur on November 8, 2022.

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