The last lunar eclipse of 2021 will take place today, according to the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD).
This time it will be a partial lunar eclipse — when the earth comes between the sun and a full moon but the three are not precisely aligned.
That is the longest partial eclipse since 1440 — around the time Johannes Gutenberg invented his printing press — and won’t be beaten until the far-off future of 2669.
The good news for moonwatchers, however, is that they won’t have to wait that long for another show — there will be a longer total lunar eclipse on November 8 next year, as per NASA’s website.
Pakistan’s Met Department has said that the lunar eclipse will not be visible in Pakistan.
The regions to witness the phenomenon will be North and South America, Australia and some parts of Europe. Besides this, some parts of Asia and northern and western parts of Africa will be able to witness it as well.
The Met Department said that the phenomenon will begin at 11:02am, peak at 12:10 pm and end at 5:04pm (PST).
The first lunar eclipse for this year occurred on May 26. The phenomenon was a total lunar eclipse, also called a “Blood Moon”, as the moon appears slightly reddish-orange.
What is a lunar eclipse?
A lunar eclipse occurs when the earth comes between the sun and the moon and blocks the sun’s rays from directly reaching the moon.
Types of lunar eclipse
- A total lunar eclipse occurs when the earth’s umbra, the central and dark part of its shadow, covers all of the moon’s surface.
- Partial Lunar Eclipses occur when only part of the moon’s surface is obscured by the earth’s umbra.
- A penumbral lunar eclipse happens when the moon travels through the faint penumbral portion of earth’s shadow.
