May’s eclipse of the Moon is what’s known as a penumbral lunar eclipse. These are not as spectacular as a total lunar eclipse, but if you’re keen there are a few things to note.
A penumbral lunar eclipse is when the Sun, Earth and Moon are imperfect in their alignment in space. Not all the light from the Sun is blocked out by Earth. This causes the Moon to be in Earth’s partial shadow.
Everyone in Australia will have a great view of the penumbral eclipse. The partial penumbral eclipse begins at 11:14pm, ending at 3:31am. The best time to see the full effect on the surface of the Moon is at the time of mid eclipse, 1:22am.
You might not notice a big difference in the Moon. There will be a subtle darkening on the southern section of the Moon.
When to look: Mid eclipse is at 1:22am, 6th May
Which direction to look: North west
Remember
A lunar eclipse happens when the Sun, Earth and Moon are all in a straight line in space. The Earth is in between the Sun and Moon and the Earth’s shadow moves across the Moon. A total lunar eclipse is when the Earth blocks out all the Sun’s light and our planetary shadow passes over the whole Moon.
Keep watching
While you’re outside, you’ll notice a bright star to the east of the Moon. This bright star is the red supergiant star Antares, the brightest star in the constellation of Scorpius.