While most were sleeping, the Moon began to silently transform over the sky of Puerto Rico. Shortly before dawn, the shadow of the Earth was climbing the surface of the natural satellite, slowly darkening its left edge and giving early risers a partial lunar eclipse.
The president of scientific dissemination of the Caribbean Astronomy Society (SAC), Eddie Irizarryexplained that the penumbral phase—a faint shadow cast by the Earth—began at 4:44 a.m.
However, from Puerto Rico, the eclipse began to be seen more clearly starting at 5:50 am, when the Earth’s shadow began to be noticed specifically in the upper left part of the Moon.
He explained that the best time to observe the phenomenon on the island was between 5:50 am and 6:15 am. Subsequently, the Moon descended towards the horizon, which could have made its visibility difficult due to possible obstructions such as trees, buildings or mountains.
Irizarry indicated that In Puerto Rico, the orange or reddish hue characteristic of a total lunar eclipse was not observed, since the totality phase mainly favored regions of the Pacific. The event was viewed in its entirety from Hawaii and other areas of the Pacific, as well as in Australia, Asia, and western North America.
Looking ahead to the next astronomical events, Irizarry announced that on the night of August 27 of this year a similar, but much more intense lunar eclipse will occur, which can be better appreciated from Puerto Rico.
Regarding the possibility of observing a total lunar eclipse – when the Moon acquires an orange or reddish hue – the scientific communicator pointed out that in 2029 two will be recorded in the same year: one on June 26 and another on December 20. Both will be visible from Puerto Rico.
Why does the Moon turn red during a lunar eclipse?
A lunar eclipse occurs when he Sunthe Earth and the Moon They align in such a way that the planet obstructs the sunlight that illuminates the satellite.
According to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA, for its acronym in English), The same phenomenon that causes the sky to look blue and sunsets to look red is what causes the Moon to appear reddish orange during a lunar eclipse.
The federal agency explains that sunlight looks white, but it actually contains a rainbow of components. When the Sun is high on a clear day, the blue light is scattered throughout the sky.
When the Sun is near the horizon, at sunrise or sunset, sunlight then travels a longer path at a low angle through the Earth’s atmosphere. According to NASA, the bluest part of sunlight scatters into the distance and ““Only the part of the spectrum that goes from yellow to red reaches our eyes.”
NASA explained that during a lunar eclipse, the satellite appears red or orange because sunlight that is not blocked by the planet is filtered by a thick portion of the Earth’s atmosphere.