At a child-friendly time: Total lunar eclipse on Sunday evening
On Sunday evening there will be a total solar eclipse in German-speaking countries, the last until 2028. The later the time, the better it can be seen.
Image of the lunar eclipse over the USA on March 14
(Image: Marcus Humberg, CC BY-SA 4.0)
Another total lunar eclipse is coming up in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, this time at a child-friendly time on Sunday evening. When the moon enters the umbra at exactly 18:27, the sun will not yet have set and the moon will not yet have risen, the Haus der Astronomie summarizes the process. Even if totality begins at 19:31, i.e., the moon is completely eclipsed, it will only be above the horizon in parts of Austria and in the far east of Germany. The further west you are, the longer you will have to wait until the totally eclipsed moon has risen. However, when it emerges from the umbra at 20:53, it will be far enough above the horizon everywhere in this country.
Recurrence only in more than three years
(Image:Â Vereinigung der Sternfreunde e.V.)
As the deputy director of the House of Astronomy explains, the exact time of moonrise also depends on local conditions, such as trees blocking the view. In the comparatively bright twilight sky, the totally eclipsed moon is also particularly difficult to find. However, the higher it rises, the easier it should be to find, promises Carolin Liefke – provided, of course, that the weather cooperates. How strong the darkening is and what color the moon takes on in the sky then depends on a number of factors. This is influenced, for example, by particles from volcanic eruptions, Saharan dust or exhaust fumes. In total, totality will last 82 minutes this time, significantly shorter than in July 2018, for example.
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The upcoming total lunar eclipse will be the last one in our latitudes for a while; the moon will not be eclipsed again until December 31, 2028, when it will be clearly visible from German-speaking countries. After that, however, it won't take quite as long - the next ones are scheduled for June 26, 2029, and shortly before Christmas 2029. During a lunar eclipse, the Earth moves between the Sun and the Moon as it orbits the Sun. The moon ends up in the Earth's shadow. Because the sunlight is deflected inwards by the layers of air in the Earth's atmosphere, the moon appears in shades of gray, brown, copper, or even deep red. Observatories and planetariums offer observations of the celestial spectacle through professional telescopes on Sunday.
(mho)
