This year, the night of Wolf Moon also produced a penumbral lunar eclipse. This type of eclipse is often mistaken for a normal full moon and occurs when the Moon moves through the weakest outer part of Earth’s shadow.
When? January 10
February: snow moon
The Snow Moon is named after the cold white material because historically it has always been the snowiest month in the United States. It is also traditionally known as the Hunger Moon, because hunting was very difficult in snowy conditions.
When? February 9
March: Luna Worm
As temperatures heat up, molds of earthworms begin to appear and birds begin to find food. It also has many other names, such as Sap Moon, Crow Moon, and Crust Moon, while its Anglo-Saxon name is Lent.
This year’s Worm Moon was also a super full moon, appearing up to 30% brighter and 14% larger for the human eye.
This full moon adorns our skies in the same month as the Spring Equinox, which falls on March 20 of this year, and also the new micro moon, which takes place on March 24 and sees the new moon at its highest point. away from Earth during its orbit.
When? March 9
April: pink moon
The full moon in April is known as the Pink Moon, but don’t be fooled into thinking it will turn pink. It is actually named after pink wildflowers, which appear in North America in early spring.
Also known as the egg moon, due to the spring egg-laying season. Some coastal tribes referred to it as Fish Moon because it appeared at the same time as the shad swimming upstream.
This full moon is important because it is used to set the date of Easter, which is always the Sunday after the first full moon after the spring equinox. This year, that moon appeared on Thursday, April 8, meaning that Easter Sunday fell four days later, on Sunday, April 12.
The Pink Moon appears during the same month as the Lyrid meteor shower and in 2020, it was also the second super full moon of the year.
When? April 8
May: flower moon
Spring has officially started when May comes, and colorful flowers and blooms dot the landscape.
This full moon is also known as the Corn Sowing Moon, as the crops are sown in time for harvest, or the Milk Moon, as May was previously known as the “Month of the Three Milkings.”
When? May 7
June: strawberry moon
This full moon is named after the start of the strawberry picking season. Her other names are Rose Moon and Hot Moon, after the onset of hot summer weather.
It appears in the same month as the summer solstice, the longest day of the year (June 20) in which we can enjoy 16 hours, 38 minutes and 20 seconds of natural light.
This year, the night of Strawberry Moon also saw a penumbral lunar eclipse. During the peak phase of the eclipse, space observers in Europe, Asia, Australia, and Africa may have seen the Moon’s surface become slightly darker than usual.
When? 5th June
Total lunar eclipses
A total lunar eclipse, also known as a ‘blood moon’, occurs when the Moon moves into Earth’s shadow. At the distance from the Moon, this shadow appears as the porthole in the center of a dart board.
The threshold shadow slowly creeps through the Moon’s disk until it completely envelops it. You may 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 blood orange.
Space fans will remember that the last total lunar eclipse graces our skies on January 21, 2019. In total, the celestial show, which was also a full moon and supermoon, lasted five hours, 11 minutes, and 33 seconds, with its maximum peak of totality. at 5:12 am.
While the next total lunar eclipse will not take place in the UK until May 16, 2022, this year there will be three prenumbral lunar eclipses on January 10, June 5, and July 5.
This type of eclipse occurs when the Moon moves through the outer part of Earth’s shadow, also known as twilight, causing a slight darkening of the lunar surface. Therefore, it is easily confused with a normal full moon and, unlike a total lunar eclipse, it can be difficult to notice or observe.
Once on a blue moon
Does this well-known phrase have something to do with the Moon? You are right. We use it to refer to something that happens very rarely and a blue moon is rare.
A monthly blue moon is the name given to a second full moon that occurs in a single calendar month and this generally 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 at an astronomical station. In 2019, May’s Flower Moon 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 generally cannot be seen in the sky. It is when the Sun and the Moon are aligned, with the Sun and the Earth on opposite sides of the Moon. As a result, the side of the Moon that faces Earth is left in complete darkness.
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-moon season. The last black moon occurred on August 30, 2019, which was also a super new moon, and the next one will take 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 won’t be able to see every phase of this eclipse, but you should be able to see it in its entirety when the Moon appears with a reddish orange glow.
What is a supermoon?
Have you ever looked 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 view occurs when a full moon is at the point in its orbit that brings it closest to Earth. To us Earth-lings, it looks up to 30% brighter and 14% bigger.
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