There are several parts of Vietnam where the observers will be able to see on Wednesday a total lunar eclipse as the moon draws closest to Earth.
The event, the only total lunar eclipse of 2021, has been dubbed “Super Flower Blood Moon” as the latter draws “super” close to Earth. During the total lunar eclipse, the moon will be on the opposite side of Earth from the sun and completely in the former’s shadow, lending the lunar surface a deep, “blood” red shade.
“Flower” simply refers to the month of May.
Should the sky be clear, people in Vietnam will be able to start seeing part of this super, blood moon around 6 p.m, reported the VNExpress.
According to NASA, the eclipse will start around 3:47 p.m. (Hanoi time).
The partial eclipse will start at 5:44 p.m., while the total eclipse commences at 6:11 p.m. before partially ending at 6:25 p.m. and completely by 7:25 p.m.
During a lunar eclipse, Earth’s shadow falls across the moon’s face as our planet moves between the moon and the sun. In a total lunar eclipse, the moon gets completely covered by Earth’s shadow as the moon and sun line up on exact opposite sides of our planet. So what does it look like and what can skywatchers at home expect?
Well, for one, a lunar eclipse is “weird and it’s beautiful and unusual,” NASA science visualizer Ernie Wright, who takes scientific data to create animations and other visuals to help communicate complex science concepts, told Space.com. “A lunar eclipse is such a spectacular visual event that you get caught up in it. During the partial phases, you see the moon sort of getting slowly eaten away, over the course of maybe an hour, an hour and a half.”
“And then suddenly,” Wright added, “it’s quite a bit darker, but it’s also this deep red color. And it’s a chance for you to sort of think about your place in the cosmos … spending just a little bit of time thinking about how amazing that is and how cool it is, and you are in a very specific place to be able to see it.”
One of the most striking visual features of a lunar eclipse is the red color, as Wright mentioned. “During a total lunar eclipse, during totality, the moon turns this copper red color,” which is how this phenomenon got the nickname “blood moon.” Totality describes the time during a total lunar eclipse that the moon is completely in shadow.
But the chance for sky gazers to enjoy the event in southern Vietnam is low since the region is experiencing its rainy season, with weather forecasts predicting rains and a cloudy sky throughout the week, according to VNExpress.
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Source: Vietnam Insider