This illustrates the minor level of darkening of the lunar disk during a deep penumbral eclipse of the Moon. This was the eclipse of March 25, 2024 (
This illustrates the minor level of darkening of the lunar disk during a deep penumbral eclipse of the Moon. This was the eclipse of March 25, 2024 (though it began before midnight late on March 24 for my time zone). At mid-eclipse 95% of the lunar disk was immersed in the Earth's penumbral shadow, as the Moon traveled along a chord through the northern portion of the penumbra. So the southern (bottom) portion of the lunar disk was closest to the central umbral shadow and therefore most deeply immersed in the penumbra. I compare the appearance of the Full Moon before the eclipse began at left, with the Moon's appearance about 30 minutes before mid-eclipse about 2 hours later. Clouds prevented me from capturing the Moon at mid-eclipse, but the darkening of the Moon would not have been much greater at mid-eclipse. The eclipsed Moon shows the darkening of the southern region of the disk, around the prominent rayed crater Tycho. While I have exaggerated the contrast in processing, this does closely simulate the appearance of the Moon through binoculars, where the darkening of the southern edge was noticeable. This was the lunar eclipse, such as it was, paired with the April 8, 2024 total solar eclipse. These were with the Canon R5 at ISO 100 on the Sharpstar 76mm refractor at the f/6 focus (no reducer or flattener used), and on an alt-azimuth mount as the exposures were very short.
Size: 3840px × 2560px
Photo credit: © Alan Dyer / VWPics / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
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