The Kinds of Lunar Eclipses

For eons, humanity has looked to the sky. It fascinates us. It inspires us. Sometimes, it even scares us. Today however, most of us are not scared of the night sky because we can no understand much of what is going on. One of the most interesting phenomenon that occurs in the heavens is a lunar eclipse that plunges the moon into darkness. You may be able to see how this occurrence would have spooked our ancestors with their primitive knowledge of the natural world. We know how this happens and there are different types of lunar eclipses. Each involves either the umbra or penumbra, both parts of the earth’s shadow.

Penumbral Eclipse
As you may be able to tell this lunar eclipse happens when the moon moves through the earth’s penumbra. The penumbra only partially blocks the sun’s intense rays so this eclipse only causes a partial darkening of the moon.

Partial Lunar Eclipse
The part of the Earth’s shadow called the umbra blocks all of the sun’s ray. A partial lunar eclipse is visible when a part of the moon enters the Earth’s umbra. This will cause the moon to look like it has a part missing.

Total Lunar Eclipse
As you may be able to guess, a total lunar eclipse occurs when the moon in its entirety enters the umbra and is plunged in complete darkness. It will however, still be somewhat visible. The amount of time that a total lunar eclipse takes will vary depending on how far the moon is from the earth. Some are longer than others. The most rare of this type is a central lunar eclipse which occurs as the moon passes through the very center of the earth’s shadow.

A lunar eclipse and the darkness associated with it are to be appreciated. Don’t be afraid of the cosmos and what happens there. Enjoy the beauty of it from right here on earth. Now that you know a bit more about lunar eclipses, you may be able to appreciate just how wonderful a natural phenomenon it is.


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