It will begin over the South Pacific Ocean and cross North America, passing over Mexico, the United States, and Canada. The first Solar Eclipse of 2024 falls on April 8. All details here(File Photo) Solar Eclipse 2024 Solar and Lunar Eclipse in 2024: Two Surya Grahan and two Chandra Grahan to take place in 2024. Since Lunar and Solar Eclipse hold great significance, it is important to know the correct dates and timings of the celestial events. During the Lunar Eclipse, the Earth must be physically between the Sun and Moon, with all three bodies lying on the same orbit plane. While a Solar Eclipse or a Surya Grahan occurs when the Moon passes between the Sun and Earth, casting the Moon's shadow on Earth, a Lunar Eclipse or Chandra Grahan occurs when the Sun casts Earth's shadow onto the Moon. The upcoming year will witness two Solar Eclipse and a Lunar Eclipse. Lunar eclipses can only take place when a Full Moon occurs near a node.2024 is an exciting year for skywatchers as a breathtaking spectacle from the cosmos is in store. The points where the two orbital planes meet are called lunar nodes. The plane of the Moon's orbit around the Earth is inclined at an angle of 5° to the Earth's orbital plane around the Sun, the ecliptic. The reason we do not see a lunar eclipse every Full Moon night has to do with the inclination of the Moon's orbital path. What is a partial lunar eclipse? Not Every Full Moon Night The Sun, Earth, and Moon must be nearly aligned, but not as closely aligned as during a partial eclipse.The Moon must be in the Full Moon phase.Two celestial events must happen at the same time for a penumbral lunar eclipse to occur: Very keen observers may then see the Moon turn a shade darker during the maximum of the eclipse. This kind of eclipse is almost impossible to see.ĭuring a full penumbral eclipse, on the other hand, the Earth's penumbra covers the entire face of the Moon. During a partial penumbral eclipse, only part of the Earth's penumbra covers the Moon's surface. Penumbral lunar eclipses can be partial or full. Lunar nodes are the locations where the Moon crosses the Earth's orbital plane. (From their perspective on the Moon, they would see a partial solar eclipse.) If a person was standing on the Moon’s surface during a penumbral lunar eclipse, they would see Earth block out some-but not all-of the Sun. The best time to try and catch it is around maximum eclipse, when one edge of the Moon may appear slightly darker than the other. These events are called penumbral eclipses.ĭifferent kinds of eclipses Not Easy to Seeīecause Earth’s penumbral shadow is light, it can be hard to spot as it moves across the face of the Moon. Often, the Moon also passes through Earth’s dark, inner shadow-known as the umbra-producing a partial or total lunar eclipse.īut sometimes, in around one out of three lunar eclipses, the Moon doesn’t reach the umbra: the penumbral stage is as deep as the eclipse gets. This is where the Moon passes through the light, outer part of Earth’s shadow, called the penumbra. March 24-25, 2024: Micro Moon and penumbral lunar eclipse A Not Very Deep EclipseĮvery lunar eclipse begins and ends with a penumbral stage.

Here the Moon is covered by the penumbra, but not the umbra-making this a penumbral lunar eclipse. This graphic shows the two large circular shadows that Earth casts into space: the inner umbra, and the outer penumbra. Business Date to Date (exclude holidays).

Solar lunar eclipse diagram