While there won’t be as many man-made fireworks as usual this Independence Day weekend, Mother Nature will be putting on her own show in the sky, with a rising “full moon of thunder” on July 4. and a partial lunar eclipse on the same night.
The slight eclipse, known as a penumbral eclipse, will not be as dramatic as a full lunar eclipse, experts say. But it could be visible to keen-eyed sky watchers here in New Jersey and other areas of North America.
A penumbral eclipse occurs when the moon moves through the outer section of Earth’s shadow, or twilight, and some of the sun’s rays cannot shine on the moon during that time, according to EarthSky astronomy experts. org.
If this were to be a full lunar eclipse, the entire moon would briefly darken and emit a reddish orange tint.
“A penumbral eclipse is very subtle. At no time does it appear that a dark bite has been removed from the moon, ”explains EarthSky.org. Instead, midway through the eclipse, observers will notice a shading on the face of the moon. They could say that the moon looks strange. Others will not notice anything at all.
At best, EarthSky astronomy writer Bruce McClure says, “It will be a subtle shadow on the moon.”
A slight lunar eclipse, known as a penumbral eclipse, will occur late on the night of Independence Day.AccuWeather
When to see the eclipse
AccuWeather says the eclipse will begin at 11:07 pm ET on Saturday, July 4 and continue until 1:52 am on Sunday, July 5, “but the best time to watch will be during the middle of the event.”
“The shadowed corner of the moon will be most evident around 12:30 am EDT, almost mid-eclipse, before the moon gradually rises out of Earth’s shadow,” notes AccuWeather.
When to see the full moon
The July moon will officially reach its most complete phase at 12:44 am on Sunday, so it will appear 99% full on Saturday night on Independence Day, 100% full on Sunday night and 98% full on Monday at night, according to MoonGiant.com.
A slight lunar eclipse, known as a penumbral eclipse, will occur late on the night of Independence Day.AccuWeather
Weather forecast
Most New Jersey residents should have a decent chance to see the nearly full moon and a slight eclipse, with the National Weather Service calling for partly cloudy (mostly clear) skies in every region of the state on Saturday night.
Another godsend: if you miss the eclipse on July 4, look at the full moon on Sunday night, when AccuWeather says it will shine very close to Saturn and Jupiter. Look into the southern sky after sunset.
Nicknames for the July moon
The most common nickname for the July full moon is the “buck moon,” coined by Native American tribes because male deer, known as bucks, “drop their antlers each year (and) begin to grow in July,” says NationalGeographic. .com. .
The July full moon is also known as the “thunder moon” due to thunderstorms that often rumble across the sky during this hot summer month. And some people refer to it as the “hay moon” because it illuminates the hay fields during the July harvest season.
Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com.
Len Melisurgo can be contacted at [email protected].
