Iran Press/ America: Skywatchers admiring November's full moon will also get to see another treat: A penumbral eclipse, when the moon passes through Earth's outer shadow, on Monday, Nov. 30, according to NASA, Live Science reported.
The moon will be at its fullest for only a moment — on Monday, which happens at 4:30 a.m. EST (9:30 UTC) — but the moon will appear full for three days: From Saturday night through Tuesday morning (Nov. 28 to Dec. 1).
Meanwhile, sky gazers need to remember three times to catch the penumbral eclipse: It starts before the full moon at 2:32 a.m. EST (7:32 UTC); reaches its maximum at 4:42 a.m. EST (9:42 UTC), when 83% of the moon will be covered with Earth's faint shadow; and ends at 6:53 a.m. EST (11:53 UTC) Monday morning, according to timeanddate.com.
Penumbral eclipses are different from total or partial eclipses. During a total lunar eclipse, Earth passes directly between the sun and moon, blocking the sun's light from reaching our natural satellite. In contrast, during a partial eclipse, the moon passes through part of Earth's inner dark shadow, known as the umbra.
Finally, in a penumbral eclipse, the moon passes through part of Earth's outer, fainter penumbral shadow, according to Space.com, a Live Science sister site.
Unless you're a seasoned skywatcher, it may be challenging to see November's penumbral eclipse, which will be visible in North America (as long as there aren't cloudy skies), because the penumbral shadow will appear as a dim veil. "The dimming of the moon during this eclipse will probably not be noticeable without instrumentation, but for spacecraft at the moon such as the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO), the reduction in solar power will be noticeable," NASA wrote in a statement.
November's full moon, known to many as the beaver moon, comes late in the month this year because October had two full moons; the second moon, a blue moon, was the first time in 76 years that a full moon was visible across the US on Halloween.
Other names for November's full moon include the cold moon, frost moon, winter moon, oak moon, moon before Yule, and child moon. The full moon will also be celebrated during Kartik Purnima (a Hindu, Sikh, and Jain cultural festival, celebrated differently by each culture), Karthika Deepam (a festival of lights observed by some Hindus), Tazaungdaing Festival Moon (observed by Buddhists in Myanmar, formerly Burma), and Ill Poya (celebrated in Sri Lanka), NASA reported.
Those who miss November's moon can always plan to see the last full moon of 2020, which will light up the night sky at 10:28 p.m. EST on Dec. 29 (3:28 UTC on Dec. 30).
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