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This Saturday, just in time for spooky season (Halloween), the Moon is going to partially vanish from the sky – and turn a little bit red.
OK, there will have to be a clear sky, which is a bit touch and go at the moment, if you’re based in the particularly soggy UK.
But, during this month’s full Moon – known as the Hunter’s Moon – there will be a partial lunar eclipse, and 12% of the moon is expected to turn red.
It’ll be visible to people in the UK, Italy, Germany, Russia and some countries in Africa including South Africa, Egypt and Algeria. The end of it will be visible in some US states and some part of Asia, too.
For the UK, the eclipse will start at 6.01pm (UTC) or 7.01pm (BST), and it will peak around two hours later, before coming to a close after a total of four hours. You can check the exact timings here.
This is a rare event – the next one won’t happen until September 17, 2024 either, so make sure you get a glimpse of this one when you can.
For a lunar eclipse to happen, the Moon’s orbital path and the Earth’s have to intersect. This doesn’t happen too often because the Moon orbits at a 5 degree incline compared to the Earth.
And, it won’t be a full eclipse because the Earth, the Moon and the Sun won’t be in a perfect line this weekend. That means only part of the Moon will fall into the darkest part of the Earth’s shadow, known as the umbra.
The Moon will also look a tiny bit red, because of the sunlight which filters through the Earth’s atmosphere – mainly the long ones at the red end of the spectrum – which then reflect back on the lunar satellite.
So what do you need to see it? Just a blanket and a comfy spot where you’re happy to sit for a while, according to the New Scientist – although it might be a good idea to grab some binoculars, too, just in case.
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