The great thing about living on a rotating planet with an orbiting rocky satellite is that opportunities for orbs to align, well, come around. Here’s how to enjoy tonight’s lunar eclipse.
In May 2024, Aotearoa was blessed with the celestial phenomenon of an exceptionally strong solar storm, causing the aurora australis to ripple through our skies. It was very magical – apparently. I didn’t see anything, because I was inside watching a documentary, unaware that it was happening.
In my grief and confusion at missing a possibly once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see charged particles from the star that heats our planet interact with the magnetic forces in the atmosphere, I signed up to a number of space alerts. I was determined to do for others what no-one had done for me: to tell people when interesting things are happening in the sky that they might want to look out.
It’s possible I took this too far; my partner rarely responds to the messages I send him to go and observe interesting clouds when we’re in different parts of the city.
But nevertheless, my time has come at last, for another miraculous, scientific alignment of cosmos and earth is upon us. There is a lunar eclipse tonight!!
Since I became aware of this several weeks ago, I have been spreading the good news. I have suggested to a friend that she goes on an eclipse observation expedition as a second date. I have told someone else that she should pause her birthday party to observe the best gift of all: our rocky planet, the concrete coloured sphere of debris that orbits us and the nuclear explosion that keeps us fed and warm, all interacting.
What will it look like? I’m not sure, I’ve never seen a lunar eclipse, so I have been doing some research. This very helpful article from an Australian astronomer has helped get me hyped. So here’s a little refresher: the moon is not actually that reflective – it’s covered with the dark remnants of old volcanos and other mysterious things that happened after it was formed by a collision of a small planet with the earth (probably). The moon reflects about one tenth of the light from the sun that hits it, while the earth reflects more like three tenths of the light, which is why photos of the earth from space always look so luminous. Despite the moon being about the colour of a giant concrete parking lot, the sun is very bright and the moon is very close to us, which is why so much of its light reaches earth.
The lunar eclipse will not (I’m sorry to say) mean the moon is completely blotted out. Instead, it means that the moon is in the umbral shadow of the earth, turning it red. This is because the shadow of the earth doesn’t completely block light – the longer red and yellow wavelengths are refracted onto the moon. As the moon moves into the penumbral, or outer shadow, it will look like part of it is dark, then slowly it’ll go back to normal. My understanding of this, by the way, comes from a CBSnews.com article, because while I am enthusiastic about celestial phenomena, I have no expertise whatsoever. Just so that is clear.
OK, that’s enough about the science and significance of this event; I’m clearly still salty about what happened with the aurora (seriously, how did no one tell me?????). When and where can you see the eclipse?
It’s a pretty fine day in the North Island, so skies should be clear. It’s cloudier on the South Island but if it’s reasonably clear, it’s still worth going out for a look, and telling everyone you know about it whether or not they are interested just so they can’t blame you if they’re disappointed tomorrow. The moon will be rising around 7:30 (depending where you are), in the middle of twilight, as the sky starts to tint darker. The height of the eclipse, when the moon will be in the middle of the umbral shadow around 8pm (input your city here to figure out when, exactly it will be for you). As the moon moves into the penumbra, it’ll look partially dark even though it’s full, and by 11pm the eclipse will be over, and the moon will be back to normal. (If you feel disappointed at this point, just remind yourself that the lunar eclipse has demanded nothing from you but your admiration and the opportunity to look beyond yourself and remember how your life depends on rotating orbs that you can’t control. It’s really quite freeing.)
The moon will rise in the east, and will be easiest to see if you’re up somewhere high without buildings or trees in the way. And it will be very hard to see if you’re inside and there’s a wall! It’s not that cold yet, you can manage to trudge out into the evening!!
If tomorrow dawns and you didn’t see the lunar eclipse, don’t come crying to me complaining that no one told you about it. I have done my part; as the shadow of the earth once more slides away from the moon, I will be resting in conscience, knowing I have contributed to the global project of celestial admiration.