First total lunar eclipse of the year to occur on March 3

The first lunar eclipse of the year will occur on March 3, the Department of Astrophysics of the Faculty of Physics at Baku State University (BSU) told

This will be a total lunar eclipse.

The Earth’s shadow will completely cover the Moon, causing it to take on a reddish hue in the sky. This phenomenon is accompanied by the “Blood Moon” effect. The reason is that the Earth’s atmosphere filters sunlight, allowing red-orange rays to reach the Moon’s surface.

In fact, the Earth’s shadow consists of two parts: the penumbra and the umbra. When the Moon enters the penumbra, a penumbral lunar eclipse begins, which is very difficult to notice with the naked eye. When the Moon enters the Earth’s umbra, the visible phase of the eclipse begins.

The penumbral eclipse will start at 12:44:25 on March 3, the partial eclipse at 13:50:00, and the total eclipse at 15:04:26. The total phase will last approximately 58 minutes. The maximum of the eclipse will occur at 15:33:46. The total eclipse will end at 16:02:45, the partial eclipse at 17:17:10, and the penumbral eclipse at 18:22:59.

The eclipse, which will be visible from Asia, Australia, and North America, will be the last total lunar eclipse until the “Blood Moon” eclipse of December 31, 2028 – January 1, 2029. The eclipse will not be observable from the territory of Azerbaijan, as the Moon will be below the horizon during the process.