Vapeboss – Hello vapers! Do you know about penumbral lunar eclipses? A penumbral lunar eclipse is a phenomenon that occurs when the moon, sun, and earth are aligned. In this moment, sunlight to the moon will be blocked by the earth, causing the moon to appear dimmer than usual full moons and the moon only enters the Earth's penumbral shadow.

According to the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG), this penumbral lunar eclipse phenomenon is caused by the dynamic movement of the positions of the sun, earth, and moon. This phenomenon only occurs during the full moon phase and can be predicted beforehand.

The good news is that this year, people can witness the penumbral lunar eclipse phenomenon occurring on May 5-6, 2023. Therefore, let's look at information about the penumbral lunar eclipse in this article, vapers!

What is a Penumbral Lunar Eclipse?

A penumbral lunar eclipse is a phenomenon when the positions of the sun, earth, and moon are aligned, so the moon only enters the Earth's penumbral shadow. The peak of this phenomenon causes the moon to appear dimmer during a full moon.

Quoted from the website of the Bosscha Observatory, Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB), the penumbra is part of the umbra. The umbra itself is the darker inner shadow, while the penumbra is the outer shadow that is not as dark as the umbra.

When Does the Penumbral Lunar Eclipse Occur?

According to the BMKG website, the penumbral lunar eclipse will occur on May 5-6, 2023. The duration of the eclipse from the start of the penumbral lunar eclipse phase (P1) until the end of the eclipse (P4) is 4 hours, 21 minutes, and 28 seconds.

The eclipse will begin at 22:12:09 WIB/23:12:09 Wita/00:12:09 WIT. The peak of the eclipse will occur at 00:22:52 WIB/01:22:52 Wita/02:22:52 WIT. Meanwhile, the eclipse will end at 02:33:36 WIB/03:33:36 Wita/04:33:36 WIT.

Where Can the Penumbral Lunar Eclipse Be Seen?

The entire process of the penumbral lunar eclipse can be witnessed from most of Asia, Australia, and small parts of Africa and Russia. So, Indonesia is one of the countries that can see this lunar eclipse phenomenon.

Source: Detik