If you’re in easternmost Australia tonight, remember to glance at the sky. You might see the Moon looking a bit unusual.
Much of the globe will witness a dramatic “blood red” lunar eclipse. However, only a select few in Australia will observe the eclipse’s tail end as the Moon ascends in the east.
Jonti Horner, an astronomer from the University of Southern Queensland, suggests that tonight’s eclipse might not offer the full experience for most Australians. Those who do see it will notice the Moon sporting a slight notch, a remnant of its journey through Earth’s shadow.
Although it lacks the full drama of a “blood moon,” Professor Horner regards tonight as a precursor to more striking total eclipses later this year.
In regions like Sydney, the eclipse will be in its partial phases by the time the moon rises this evening, meaning viewers will miss the full spectacle and only see it as the moon exits Earth’s shadow.
The eclipse starts before moonrise in Sydney, rendering its early phases unseen. The peak, occurring just after the moonrise around 7:16 PM AEDT, will be a partial one, not the complete “blood moon” often associated with total lunar eclipses.
Don’t miss out! Here are the viewing times across major Australian cities:
- Sydney: 7:13 PM
- Melbourne: 7:40 PM
- Brisbane: 6:04 PM
- Canberra: 7:22 PM
- Adelaide: 7:35 PM
- Darwin: 7:02 PM
- Hobart: 7:32 PM
If the weather doesn’t cooperate, several websites and observatories will live-stream the event, allowing you to witness the eclipse online.
