Without being extremely rare, it is an event not to be missed for all lovers of astronomy: a total lunar eclipse is expected on the night of this Sunday to Monday. And the phenomenon promises to be all the more spectacular as we will be dealing with a “Super Moon”. Our satellite will be at its perigee, at a distance of only 350,000 km from Earth.
What is a total lunar eclipse?
We speak of a total lunar eclipse when the latter passes completely into the shadow of the Earth. This supposes two conditions: that the Moon is on the other side of the Earth in relation to the Sun, and that it crosses the plane of rotation of our planet around the Sun (the Moon’s orbit is shifted by about 5 degrees from the latter). This double conjunction occurs at least twice a year.
The total eclipse should not be confused with the new Moon: if our satellite then seems invisible, it is because it is between the Sun and us, and therefore presents us with its unlit side in broad daylight.
What time and how long?
Visible in a large part of Europe, Africa and the American continent, this first total lunar eclipse of the year 2022 will begin at 5:29 a.m. (French time) and end at 6:54 a.m. It will therefore last nearly an hour and a half. In Europe, the observation time may however be shortened: the phenomenon will only be visible for about twenty minutes in Strasbourg, compared to more than an hour in Brest.
What will we see?
The Moon will first enter, around 3:30 am, in the penumbra of the Earth. Its luminosity will then gradually decrease, until a black spot begins to spread over its surface: the sign that our satellite has entered the Earth’s shadow cone. The penumbral eclipse will then transform into a partial eclipse, around 4:27 a.m., then into a total eclipse from 5:29 a.m. The Moon will then be completely in the shadow of our planet. It should lose a lot of luminosity, and present an aspect that can go from dark gray to reddish.
The Moon will in fact no longer be illuminated except by the light rays brushing against the Earth, and refracting in the atmosphere, most often taking on a red color. You have to imagine the spectacle from the Moon: the Earth will then be nothing more than a black disc surrounded by a luminous circle, corresponding for Earthlings to the first light of dawn.
When are the next meetings?
The next total lunar eclipse will occur on November 8, but will only be observable in Asia and North America. To see them again in France, it will be necessary to wait until 2025: a first is scheduled for March 14, but visible only about ten minutes at dawn from Brittany, and a second on September 7 shortly after sunset. But the most impressive is expected on the night of December 31, 2028 at 1er January 2029: the center of the Moon will then be perfectly aligned with those of the Earth and the Sun, and the eclipse will be visible from a good half of the globe.