Weather Forecast and Upcoming Partial Lunar Eclipse
Current weather forecasts for Saturday evening are not overly promising, but there’s a chance we might still witness the eclipse if we are fortunate to have temporary clear skies.
Details of the Upcoming Partial Lunar Eclipse
Observation enthusiasts, mark your calendars! On the evening of Saturday, 28 October, we’re in for a partial lunar eclipse. This celestial event will be visible worldwide, the visibility depending heavily on the weather conditions of the day.
The partial lunar eclipse, as reported by the sky observation website, hemel.waarnemen.com, is set to begin around 20:00 and will be observable for slightly over four hours. During this time, we will witness a “bite” out of the moon, gradually increasing in size before decreasing once again.
As it’s a partial eclipse, the moon will not be entirely obscured. The eclipse is expected to conclude shortly after midnight, around 00:29. The moon’s obscured state can be observed using the naked eye, however, using binoculars or a telescope can provide an even clearer view.
The eclipse will peak at around 22:15, where the moon will be approximately 35 degrees above the east-southeastern horizon. At this point, it will be clearly visible that a dark area, roughly 13% of the moon, will appear to be missing from the moon’s bottom section while the lunar surface’s top part becomes increasingly brilliant.
The Role of Lunar Proximity
During this eclipse, we are particularly fortunate as the moon will be relatively close to the earth. It’s important to understand that the moon orbits the earth in a slightly elliptical path, causing the earth-moon distance to fluctuate. Two days prior to the partial lunar eclipse, the moon will reach perigee, its closest point to the earth, making the moon appear somewhat larger, a phenomenon also referred to as a ‘supermoon’.
Impact of Weather
According to Marc van der Sluys, an astronomer associated with Utrecht University, the eclipse will be fully visible in our area, given favourable weather conditions. Whether this will pan out remains to be seen, as current forecasts for Saturday are less than optimistic, with anticipated cloud cover and rain. However, there’s still a possibility of viewing the eclipse if there are intermittent clearings. Sluys emphasises the importance of keeping an eye on the weather forecast in the days leading up to the eclipse.
Take Advantage of the Winter Time
Have you always wanted to experience a (partial) lunar eclipse but never managed to make it happen? This year, there’s an excellent opportunity. The eclipse occurs relatively early in the evening, and on Saturday night, you can stay up a little later than usual due to the ending of daylight saving time with the clock being set back one hour. For those who don’t want to stay outdoors the whole evening, Sluys suggests observing perhaps only the first or second half of the eclipse. After 22:15, the unfolding of the eclipse reverses, playing out the events in the reverse order.
Future Opportunities
If you’re unable to watch the partial lunar eclipse on Saturday, don’t fret. In the coming years, there will be plenty of opportunities to witness this remarkable phenomenon. On average, lunar eclipses occur slightly more than twice a year and can be seen anywhere on earth, provided the moon is above the horizon at that time.
Of all the lunar eclipses, the most awe-inspiring remains the total lunar eclipse. Nearly 40% of the total lunar eclipses occurring this century are of this type. Typically, in most regions, there’s just over two years between two total lunar eclipses. The last one easily observable in most parts of the world occurred on July 16, 2019. The next one is expected to take place on September 18 of the coming year. After this, the subsequent total lunar eclipse anticipated for our region will occur on September 7, 2025.
