A Lunar Eclipse Is Coming To Canadian Skies Tonight But The East Gets The Best View
Calling all space enthusiasts! The penumbral lunar eclipse 2020 is visible from Canada tonight but only places east of Saskatchewan will get the best view. It's not a total eclipse so there are some tips about how to see it.
It's been talked about for weeks and even months but now it's finally here.
On the night of July 4 and the early hours of July 5, the penumbral lunar eclipse will be visible across Canada.
Anywhere east of Regina will get the entire eclipse.
Thought it's a different story for the other end of the country.
For anywhere west of the city and northwestern parts of Manitoba, the timing of this will be during the sunset and twilight hours so it'll be difficult to see.
Parts of the territories and northwestern B.C. won't see it at all.
These are the timelines for the eclipse across Canada in each timezone:
- NST: Starts 12:37 a.m.; Max at 2:00 a.m.; Ends 3:22 a.m.
- AST: Starts 12:07 a.m.; Max at 1:30 a.m.; Ends 2:52 a.m.
- EST: Starts 11:07 p.m.; Max at 12:30 a.m.; Ends 1:52 a.m.
- CST: Starts 10:07 p.m.; Max at 11:30 p.m.; Ends 12:52 a.m.
- MST: Starts 9:07 p.m.; Max at 10:30 p.m.; Ends 11:52 p.m.
- PST: Starts 8:07 p.m.; Max at 9:30 p.m.; Ends 10:52 p.m.
If you can't see the eclipse in person, hopefully people will post pictures of it!
With a total eclipse, the moon passes through the middle of the darkest part of Earth's shadow, the umbra.
That turns it a red colour.
Tonight's event is happening because the moon is moving through the outer part of the shadow, the penumbra.
So, it won't change colour but it will dim slightly.
That makes it more difficult to see but it can still be done!
So, if you love celestial events and are up for a challenge, this eclipse is perfect for you.
The Weather Network is suggesting watching tonight through a telescope, binoculars or by zooming in on Earth's natural satellite with a camera.
You should also focus on the northern half of the moon for the best chance of seeing the dimming.
Hopefully it's not cloudy!
There will be another penumbral lunar eclipse on the night of November 29 and early hours of November 30 in case you miss this one.
According to NASA, the next total lunar eclipse is expected on May 26, 2021.