Total lunar eclipse at night from Sunday to Monday: When, where and how to watch it?

On the night of Sunday 15 May to Monday 16 May we will see a total lunar eclipse in our country. The moon will then pass through the Earth’s shadow, creating a stunning image.

This complete eclipse will occur in several stages. The first is the penumbral stage. At that point, almost all of the sun’s rays are blocked out, but there are still some rays that reach the moon. This starts at 3:32 a.m. Monday night, but includes a subtle dimming effect that can easily go unnoticed.

Then we get to the second stage. In it you see the shadow of the Earth passing over the surface of the moon. This starts at 4.28 am and continues gradually. The complete eclipse begins at 5:29 a.m. When this eclipse is complete, it will be like the rotation of the moon copper. That’s because Earth’s atmosphere directs some sunlight toward it. The beginning of the end, when you see the shadow slipping away from the moon again, begins at 6:53 AM. The end of the eclipse will occur at 8:51 am. But we won’t be able to see the end of this eclipse in Belgium. By then the moon will be below the horizon. So, it’s certainly not a bad idea to look for a place where you have an unobstructed view of the southwest horizon.

The biggest advantage of a lunar eclipse – compared to a solar eclipse – is that you can look at it with the naked eye and you don’t need special glasses. If you wish, you can use binoculars to get a better view, but in principle this is not necessary.

If you don’t have time to get up on Monday night, you’ll have to wait until next year. The next full lunar eclipse will occur on November 8, 2022, but it will not be visible in our country. On the other hand, October 25, 2022 could be very interesting. Then you can also see a partial lunar eclipse from our country.

(sgg)