Final lunar eclipse of 2023 can be viewed in Europe this weekend

THE last lunar eclipse of 2023 will take place this Saturday, October 28 going into Sunday 29.

Starting on Saturday, October 28, and stretching into Sunday 29, a partial lunar eclipse will occur during October’s full moon, commonly called the Hunter’s Moon. It will be visible in several European countries.

A lunar eclipse of the Sun was visible on Earth at the beginning of October, but this time around it is the Moon that will undergo an eclipse.

When and where can the eclipse be viewed?

It is estimated that the eclipse will begin at around 8 pm Spanish time and 7 pm in Portugal, and will end when the Moon enters the penumbral phase, at around 0:26 am Spanish time early on Sunday morning and 11:26 pm in Portugal.

According to space.com, the eclipse will be visible in Europe, Asia and Africa, and will occur during the so-called Hunter’s Moon. To check the best time to view the partial eclipse you can visit timeanddate.com.

That is because lunar eclipses only happen when the full moon is close to points where the orbital paths of the Earth and the Moon intersect.

What is a partial eclipse?

However, this weekend’s event will only be a partial lunar eclipse. An imperfect alignment of Sun, Earth and Moon will result in the Moon passing through only part of Earth’s umbra. The shadow grows and then recedes without ever entirely covering the Moon.

As a result, only a small part of the Moon will be under the shadow of the Earth, the umbra. That will cause the Moon to appear a little darker than normal, due to the penumbra phase. This will be the last partial eclipse of the year, with the next one not due until September 17, 2024.