[ad_1]
This year, space fans may have seen the July full moon turn a bit darker than usual as the third penumbral lunar eclipse of 2020 took place.
When? July 5th
August: Sturgeon Moon
North American tribes typically captured sturgeon around this time, but this is also when grain and corn were gathered, which is why it is sometimes referred to as a Grain Moon.
This full moon appears in the same month as the Perseid meteor shower, which peaks on August 12 and 13.
This year, a black moon (the third new moon in a season of four new moons) also occurred on August 19. However, we could not see this lunar event as the new moons are invisible to the naked eye.
When? August 3rd
September and October: full corn moon and harvest moon
It was during the month of September when most of the crops were harvested before fall and this full moon would light up the farmers so they could continue working more at night. As a result, it is more commonly known as the Harvest Moon, and some tribes also call it the Full Corn Moon, the Barley Moon, or the Fruit Moon.
However, Harvest Moon is the name given to the first full moon that takes place closer to the Autumn Equinox. While the Harvest Moon generally falls in September, roughly every three years, the astronomical season times cause it to fall in October.
In 2020, the autumnal equinox fell on September 22, and the closest full moon fell in October. Therefore, the September full moon was known as the full moon of corn, while the first of the two full moons in October was the harvest moon.
When? September 2 and October 1
October: Hunter’s Moon
As people planned ahead for the cold months to come, October’s full moon came to mean the ideal time for hunting, which was getting fatter from eating falling grains. This full moon is also known as Travel Moon and Dying Grass Moon.
In 2020, the Hunter’s Moon was also a blue moon, because it was the second of two full moons that occurred in October.
When? 31 October
November: Beaver Moon
Beavers often start building their winter dams now, leading to this full moon nickname. It is also known as the icy moon, as winter frosts historically began to take their toll during this time.
When? November 30
Total lunar eclipses
A total lunar eclipse, also known as a ‘blood moon’, occurs when the Moon moves into the Earth’s shadow. At the distance from the Moon, this shadow appears like the bullseye in the center of a dart board.
The threshold shadow slowly creeps across the disk of the Moon until it completely envelops it. You might think that the Moon would disappear from view at this point, but this is not usually the case. Earth’s atmosphere acts like a lens, refracting or bending the red light from the Sun to fill the dark umbra. This results in the Moon’s usual bright white hue turning into a deep orange.
Space fans will remember that the last total lunar eclipse graced our skies on January 21, 2019. In total, the celestial spectacle, which was also a full moon and a supermoon, lasted five hours, 11 minutes, and 33 seconds, with its maximum totality reaching its maximum point. at 5:12 am.
While the next total lunar eclipse will not take place in the UK until May 16, 2022, this year there were three prenumbral lunar eclipses on January 10, June 5 and July 5.
This type of eclipse occurs when the Moon passes through the outer part of the Earth’s shadow, also known as penumbra, causing a slight darkening of the lunar surface. Therefore, it is easily mistaken for a normal full moon, and unlike a total lunar eclipse, it can be difficult to notice or observe.
Once in a blue moon
Does this well-known phrase have something to do with the Moon? Well, yes it does. We use it to refer to something that happens very rarely and a blue moon is a rare occurrence.
A monthly blue moon is the name given to a second full moon that occurs in a single calendar month and this usually occurs only once every two to three years. In 2020, the Hunter’s Moon on October 31 will also be a blue moon because it is the second full moon to occur in October.
A seasonal blue moon describes the third of four full moons that occur in an astronomical station. In 2019, the May moon flower was a seasonal blue moon.
There are also many other moons, how many do you know?
Full moon: We all know what they are. They come every month and light up the sky at night.
New Moon: Sometimes known as the invisible phase, as it cannot generally be seen in the sky. It is when the Sun and the Moon are aligned, with the Sun and Earth on opposite sides of the Moon. As a result, the side of the Moon facing the Earth is completely dark.
Black moon: Most experts agree that this refers to the second new moon in a calendar month, while some use the term to describe the third new moon in a four-new moon season. The last black moon took place on August 19, 2020.
Blood Moon: Also known as a total lunar eclipse. It’s when Earth’s shadow casts a reddish glow on the moon, the result of a rare combination of an eclipse with the closest full moon of the year. There was one in the UK in January 2019, and the next one will be visible in South America, North America and parts of Europe and Africa on May 16, 2022. Space fans in the UK will not be able to see all phases. of this eclipse, but you should be able to see it in its entirety when the Moon appears reddish-orange.
What is a supermoon?
Have you ever looked up at the night sky to see a full moon so close you could almost touch it? Well, you’ve probably seen a supermoon.
The breathtaking sight occurs when the full moon is at the point in its orbit that brings it closest to Earth. To us terrestrial beings, it appears up to 30% brighter and 14% larger.
[ad_2]
