MOON ECLIPSE. This Monday, May 16, the French will have to wake up early to witness the only total lunar eclipse of the year 2022 that is visible in France, coupled with a blood moon. Lunar eclipse viewing advice and time.
[Mis à jour le 15 mai 2022 à 21h19] This Monday, May 16, a lunar eclipse, the only one visible in France this year 2022, will appear in the sky before sunrise, in its entirety from 5:29 a.m. until moonset at 6:09 a.m.. According to the Institute of Celestial Mechanics and Ephemeris Calculation (IMCCE), “the more we go west, the more we will observe a large part of totality (20 minutes in Strasbourg, 40 minutes in Paris, 1 hour 10 minutes on the island of Ouessant)”. Sky watchers will be able to observe a Moon totally eclipsed by the Earth’s shadow and turn red (a phenomenon known as a “blood moon”).
Did you know that this astronomical event is extremely rare and only occurs when the Earth is between the Sun and the Moon (which is necessarily full on this occasion) in perfect alignment? As for the “blood moon” phenomenon, it is similar to that of sunsets, during which the sky also takes on a reddish hue. “When the atmosphere interferes with the sun’s rays, the sunlight turns red. In fact, it is as if the Moon were illuminated by a sunset that surrounds the whole Earth”, summarizes Olivier Las Vergnas, the President of the French Association of Astronomy at BFM TV. Time and observation advice, but also meaning, we tell you everything about the lunar eclipse phenomenon below:
The next lunar eclipse on Monday May 16, 2022 will enter the penumbra of the Earth at 3:32 a.m. from Paris (01:32 UTC). It will be perfectly visible to the naked eye in its entirety in France metropolitan for a good half hour from 5:29 a.m. to 6:09 a.m., when the day will dawn.
The peak of the total eclipse is expected at 6:11 a.m. and the lunar eclipse will continue until 6:54 a.m. but this part will no longer be visible in France due to the sunrise. This is when the Moon will turn red, a phenomenon “relatively” simple to understand: as the Moon enters the shadow of the Earth during the lunar eclipse, it takes for a certain period from time to time a red tint. At this moment, the rays of the sun which have the longest wavelength (red), always reach the Moon. They are the ones who give it this coppery tint. The phenomenon is similar to that of sunsets, during which the sky also takes on a reddish tint. The lunar eclipse will emerge from twilight at 8:50 a.m. Paris time.
If the sky is clear, there is no problem observing a lunar eclipse with the naked eye, without any danger (unlike a solar eclipse) and without special equipment. We advise you to position yourself in the direction of the clear horizon and to turn towards the southwest. The place of observation must be located far from any light pollution (at the top of a hill, on a beach etc…) As for the Super Moon, in case you are in an area where clouds veil its visibility, you can arm yourself with your telescopeof yours binoculars or a pair of astronomical glasses to better observe the lunar eclipse.
For those who wish to immortalize the phenomenon, you can also bring a standard 50 mm lens as well as longer focal length lenses (between 200 mm and 2,700 mm on a full frame sensor). The important thing is to be able to have a tripod to avoid camera shake. The use of a telephoto lens is obviously ideal so that the moon fits entirely into the frame, but for photographers with a short focal length, you can make an eclipse trail (successive superimpositions of the different phases of the eclipse on the same photograph). Given the low light during the lunar eclipse, set your camera to medium to high sensitivity depending on the phase of the eclipse, as well as a large aperture.
The last lunar eclipse occurred on Friday November 19, 2021, the longest partial lunar eclipse since on February 18, 1440, with a total duration of 6 hours and 2 minutes. The American continent, northeast Asia, Polynesia, eastern Australia and part of Europe were able to observe this partial eclipse. However, its observation in France was not possible. Discover the most beautiful photos of the last lunar eclipseas well as the previous ones:
It is important to point out that the astronomical phenomenon of the lunar eclipse is only possible when the Moon is full. A lunar eclipse can only occur when the Moon is atopposite of the Sun with respect to the Earth and that it is therefore in the full moon phase.
This phenomenon only occurs during total eclipses. As the Moon advances into the shadow of the Earth, the Moon takes on a red hue, which is called a blood moon phenomenon. “The longer wavelength rays (red) continue to reach the Moon and give it a coppery hue. It is this same phenomenon that gives sunsets their color”, explains France 3 Region. The red color of the Moon varies with atmospheric conditions, ranging from orange to bright red.
This year 2022, there will be two total lunar eclipses, to the delight of astronomy enthusiasts! HAS start with that of this night of Monday May 16 visible from Europe (including France), from the east of North America, from South America and from Africa. The continents of Oceania and Asia are the only ones unable to attend the show.
The next total lunar eclipse will occur on November 8, 2022, but it will only be visible from Asia, Oceania, and the Americas. As for the stars, this summer you absolutely must not miss the Perseids and their shower of shooting stars during the now famous night of stars.
The partial lunar eclipse is a phenomenon that occurs when the Earth moves between the Moon and the Sun without these three stars being completely aligned.