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Lunar Eclipse

Lunar Eclipse

There was a total lunar eclipse that started yesterday and ended today. In honor of this eclipse, here are a few fun facts about lunar eclipses.

  1. Some lunar eclipse can last up to 3 hour and 45 minutes.
  2. Lunar eclipses can never happen more than three times a year.
  3. There are typically more solar eclipses than lunar eclipses per year.
  4. There are three types of lunar eclipse: partial, full, and prenumbral.
  5. A full lunar eclipse occurs when the Earth passes directly in front of a full moon.
  6. In ancient times, a total lunar eclipse or disappearance of the Moon meant that the gods were angry with the people.
  7. The word eclipse comes from the Greek word meaning downfall.
  8. It is not dangerous to look directly at the Moon during a lunar eclipse because the Moon is not giving off its own light – this is not the case for a solar eclipse.
  9. A lunar eclipse may be viewed from anywhere on the night side of the Earth.
  10. Full moons are the only time lunar eclipses occur.
  11. Lunar eclipses are visible over an entire hemisphere.

The next eclipse that will be visible in Birmingham will be on March 23, 2016. This will be a Penumbral Lunar Eclipse, which is more subtle, and more difficult to observe. This eclipse occurs when the moon moves through the outer part of the Earth’s shadow.

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