Most Canadians are in for a special treat next month because that big cheese wheel in the sky is going dark. We'll get to see a lunar eclipse in Canada very soon, and on top of that, a full moon is happening at the same time. You can catch the sight in every major city, from Montreal to Vancouver.
On the weekend of Saturday, July 4 to Sunday, July 5, there will be a penumbral eclipse of the moon, according to Timeanddate.com.
Even though most of Canada will be able to catch it, it'll be more intense on the east coast than the west. And, according to Space.com, North and South America will have some of the best views in the world.
Eastern provinces like Ontario and Quebec will get the full experience, with the entire eclipse visible. The western provinces of B.C. and Alberta will only see some of that tasty eclipse.
Plus, it'll be visible for longer on the east, lasting for almost 3 hours. For eastern cities like Montreal, Ottawa, and Toronto, it will start at 11:45 p.m. EDT on Saturday, reach its maximum at 12:29 a.m., and end at 1:52 a.m.
For the west, the viewing time is just under two hours. In cities like Vancouver and Edmonton, it will start around 10:07 p.m MDT on Saturday, reach its maximum at 10:29 p.m., and end at 11:52 p.m.
According to Almanac.com, there will be two more penumbral eclipses in 2020, one on Sunday, November 29 and the last on Monday, December 14.
A penumbral eclipse happens when the Earth passes between the sun and the moon. The moon appears to glow because the sunlight reflects off its white surface. As Earth blocks the sunlight, parts of the moon go dark.
Unlike a full, umbral eclipse though, a penumbral means only the fainter, outer part of the earth's shadow falls on it — that means you'll still be able to see the moon glowing, it'll just be fainter than normal.
These eclipses can only happen when there's a full moon out, and are sometimes confused for just a normal full moon.
However, it's still a rare event since it can only happen during a full moon, when the Earth, moon, and sun are aligned just right. You'll definitely catch us out that night with a blanket and mug of hot chocolate in hand, looking out at the sky.