Skygazers in the Cayman Islands are in a perfect location to observe a full lunar eclipse on Sunday night.
A lunar eclipse occurs when the Earth comes between the sun and the full moon, blocking the sun’s direct rays from lighting up the moon, which appears to be a reddish colour in the night sky.
For those watching in Cayman, weather permitting, the eclipse can be seen for about five hours and 19 minutes. It will begin at 8:32pm, and end at 1:51am, with the full eclipse, which will last an hour and 25 minutes, starting at 10:29pm.
Tiyen Miller of the Cayman Islands Astronomical Society said, “We have one of the best viewpoints in the entire planet to watch this event.”
Explaining what to expect, Miller said, “You won’t actually notice very much until about 9:30 when the darkest part of the Earth’s shadow starts to block the moon. The moon is lit by the sunlight, so when the Earth’s shadow covers it, it looks completely different.
“By about 10:30, it’s going be completely covered by the darkest part of the Earth’s shadow, and will only be lit by the red, that is essentially coming from the sunsets all around the world, which is quite a poetic way of looking at it.”
Unlike a solar eclipse, people can stare directly at a lunar eclipse without the need for any protective eyewear.
“This is a completely safe event to watch,” Miller said, “and you’re encouraged to go outside and check it out.”
This eclipse will be widely visible across the Americas, Europe and Africa.
The next total lunar eclipse will occur on 8 Nov. this year, but will be in the pre-dawn hours and the moon will set while in full eclipse. After that, the next total eclipse visible in Cayman will be in 2025.
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