Penumbral eclipse 2020: program, what is it and where to see better in Spain

This November 30 the Moon will be different. It is going to happen the fourth and last of the lunar eclipses of the year. In general, a lunar eclipse occurs when the Earth is between the Sun and the Moon, so that the planet creates a shadow cone. There are three different eclipses, the partial, the total and the penumbra. And the latter type is precisely what can be observed now.

A twilight eclipse differs from the rest in that there is a slight darkening of the Moon’s surface. Therefore, being so subtle, it is almost imperceptible in some places on Earth, as many times it appears to be a normal, current full moon. This happens because the Earth partially blocks the sunlight it reflects.

This is the fourth eclipse because the precedents were on 10 January, 5 June and 5 July. None have been produced since, and To be able to see the next one, which will be at the beginning of 2021, we will have to wait even more than a month.

When and how to see it

This eclipse will start at 07:31 GTM, which is 08:31 in Spain, and will end at 11:49 GTM or 12:49 in Spain. Therefore, its duration is four hours and eight minutes, with its highest or most important point at 10:40 in Spain.

But nevertheless, The peculiarity of this eclipse is that it will practically not be seen in Spain, according to data from the National Geographic Institute. The beginning will be visible in America and North Asia, while the latter phases are observable in North America, Asia and Oceania.

“It’s a little hard to see the difference between the penumbral eclipse and a normal full moon with a little haze for example. The shadow, the semi-darkness, is very faint, so the effect of the moon’s brightness is not so easy to see with the naked eye. What we are suggesting is to take a photo first, and a photo during the eclipse, and then compare the two photos, “Dr. Mújica García explained to infobae.com about the technique for viewing it.

This phenomenon was similar to that of July 5, and for three years, May 5, 2023, it will no longer be seen, including in Africa, Asia and Australia. What you can see soon is the total solar eclipse, which will occur on December 14th.