Partial Lunar Eclipse on the 19th, Earth Covers 97.8% of the Moon

National Gwacheon Science Museum Hosts Special Observation Event with Online and Offline Live Broadcast

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Bong-su] The Gwacheon National Science Museum will hold an 'On-and-Off Partial Lunar Eclipse Special Observation Event,' including an in-person observation event for the partial lunar eclipse occurring for the first time in two years, on the 19th at 2 p.m.

This partial lunar eclipse will have a maximum obscuration ratio (the ratio of the moon's diameter covered by Earth's shadow) of 0.978. In other words, most of the moon will be covered by Earth's shadow and it can be observed throughout South Korea. The next lunar eclipse will be a total lunar eclipse on November 8th next year.

A lunar eclipse is a phenomenon that occurs when the full moon passes through Earth's shadow, happening on average about once every six months. A total lunar eclipse occurred last May, and this time a partial lunar eclipse will take place. When the moon passes completely into Earth's shadow, it is a total lunar eclipse; when it just grazes Earth's shadow, it is a partial lunar eclipse.

For Seoul, the moon's left side will begin to be covered around 4:18 p.m. The moon will be maximally covered around 6:03 p.m. The eclipse will end at 7:47 p.m. when the moon completely leaves Earth's shadow. The moon rises at 5:16 p.m., so the partial lunar eclipse will already be underway before moonrise, allowing observers to see the moon rising partially covered.

At the maximum obscuration of this partial lunar eclipse, the moon's altitude will be only about 8 degrees, so to observe it properly, there should be no large buildings or high mountains nearby, and the eastern sky must be completely open.

Gwacheon National Science Museum plans to conduct both online broadcasts and offline events in accordance with the phased daily recovery measures. The online broadcast will live stream the partial lunar eclipse process on YouTube at 6 p.m., along with explanations about the principles of lunar eclipses, their frequency, and reasons for differences in eclipse duration.

Offline observation events, which had been suspended since February last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, will resume after 21 months. Participation will be limited to 200 people, and participation tickets will be distributed to visitors of the permanent exhibition hall. The observation event will start at 5:30 p.m., and participants will observe Jupiter and Saturn before moonrise. Many practice telescopes will be provided so participants can operate the telescopes themselves.

For more details, please check the Gwacheon National Science Museum website.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.