Lunar Eclipses In 2022 [There Are Two, When & Where To See]

The lunar eclipse in 2022 is bound to take place twice, one of which has already passed and the other is swiftly approaching. Below, you can take a look at details about each of these, such as what to expect, how you can view them and what types of lunar eclipses there are.

Lunar Eclipses In 2022: Short Summary

A total of two lunar eclipses are lined up for the year 2022. One of them took place on May 15-16 as a total lunar eclipse, lasting for about 84 minutes. This was visible in parts of North and South America, Europe and Africa.

The other is lined up for November 8 and is also a total lunar eclipse with the cycle going through partial and penumbral phases. You can view it in parts of Australia, Asia, North America, Europe and South America.

You can look at what the May 15-16 lunar eclipse was like here and the upcoming November 8 eclipse here.

Lunar Eclipses In 2022

You can go through the details of the two lunar eclipses of 2022 below, along with information about what the Moon looks like and what kind of lunar eclipse each of them was/will be.

May 15-16

This lunar eclipse took place on the night between May 15 and 16, 2022. It lasted for a total of over 318 minutes or over 5 hours. This was kicked off by the penumbral part of the eclipse, which went into a partial eclipse that went on for around 208 minutes of the total time period.

This lunar eclipse was a total lunar eclipse, with the totality lasting for nearly 85 minutes. This total lunar eclipse was visible only in certain parts of the world where it was already nighttime; these included most of North and South America as well as parts of Africa and Europe. It was also visible in Antarctica.

Parts of the Middle East and New Zealand also managed to view the eclipse, although this was only visible as a penumbral lunar eclipse.

The total eclipse also took place along with a supermoon, making the Moon appear as a Red Moon or Blood Moon.

November 8

The second lunar eclipse of 2022 is on November 8, 2022. This eclipse is expected to last for a similar time period as the one that took place in May 2022.

This means that the overall time period for the eclipse is likely to be 5-6 hours, with the penumbral phase lasting for around 350 minutes and the partial phase for 220 minutes of these 350.

This lunar eclipse is also going to be a total lunar eclipse, with the period of totality expected to last for around 85 minutes.

Just like the lunar eclipse of May, this one will also be visible in only certain parts of the world where it is nighttime, although a few other places might be able to view it this time around.

These include parts of Australia, Asia and Europe (each of these can view the eclipse on the rising Moon) as well as parts of North and South America (setting Moon). Some cities here might have better chances of viewing the total lunar eclipse, although most of them will at least be able to view the partial eclipse.

What Does A Lunar Eclipse Mean?

It is vital to understand what a lunar eclipse is and means to figure out what you can expect the next time you get a chance to view it on your own. Note that lunar eclipses are completely safe to view by the naked eye and are also visible enough, unlike many solar eclipses that require you to have a barrier between your eyes and the Sun.

Lunar eclipses usually take place when the Earth aligns itself right between the Sun and the Moon. This kind of arrangement of alignment is referred to as syzygy and can only take place during a full moon.

The Moon here tends to move and place itself in the shadow of Earth, such that Earth tends to block all the sunlight that usually makes the Moon visible to us. This kind of blockage can either be partial or total.

In general, lunar eclipses tend to be a lot more accessible for viewing as compared to solar eclipses. Not only are they safer but are also visible from nearly half of the world’s locations. This tends to depend on which side of the planet is experiencing nighttime during the lunar eclipse.

This is usually because the shadow that the Earth casts over the Moon tends to be larger and bigger than the Moon itself. Moreover, the Earth’s atmosphere makes it possible to cast and reflect light from the Moon, thereby making it clearly visible to the naked eye.

What Is A Blood Moon?

A Blood Moon is something that you can only witness during a total lunar eclipse. Luckily, 2022 has two of those, so even if you missed out on the first one, you can still try to catch it on the second one.

The Blood Moon occurs when the lunar eclipse cycle is nearing its end. When the Earth completely blocks off all the sunlight from making its way to the Moon, the Moon tends to rely only on the light coming to it from the atmosphere of Earth.

The light from the Earth’s atmosphere is blue, but the Earth still receives sunlight. The Rayleigh scattering phenomenon, however, causes the light to scatter to match a certain frequency, causing the light to appear reddish when it gets reflected back. It is for this reason that the Moon appears red in color during a total lunar eclipse.

This is similar to why you can view red hues in the sky when the sun sets and rises. This kind of view can last for up to a couple of hours depending on the length of the overall eclipse. Some total eclipses might even last for only 30 minutes.

Types And Frequency Of Lunar Eclipses

Typically, lunar eclipses take place twice every year, although some rare years might get anywhere between three and five lunar eclipses. Penumbral and partial lunar eclipses are a lot more frequent, while total lunar eclipses only taking place every three years or so.

For instance, with 2022 experiencing two total eclipses, the next time this will happen is expected to be in the year 2025. Note that total eclipses start off with penumbral and partial eclipses, with some parts of the world likely to view only these while others can view the total eclipse.

What exactly are the different types of lunar eclipses? When do they occur and what can you expect from them? Let’s take a look.

Penumbral

The penumbra is the outermost part of the Earth’s shadow. Whenever the Moon falls within this penumbra, it can result in a penumbral lunar eclipse.

This causes only a small part of the Moon to become eclipsed, which might make it difficult for you to identify it as an eclipse unless you are already aware of it beforehand.

Usually, you might end up mistaking this for a full or gibbous moon. When the Moon, Earth and Sun are not aligned in a straight line, this kind of penumbral lunar eclipse can occur.

You might only be able to view this when most of the Moon falls within this penumbra. The other kinds of lunar eclipses also start and end with this phase of the cycle.

Partial

A partial lunar eclipse also occurs when the Earth, Moon and Sun are not in a perfect line with each other, although the shadow that covers the Moon is much larger than that of a penumbral lunar eclipse.

In a partial eclipse, a certain part or section of the Moon enters the innermost part of the Earth’s shadow called the umbra. This kind of lunar eclipse can usually occur on its own, although it can also be a part of a total lunar eclipse.

It is easy to view and identify a partial lunar eclipse since you might be able to see nearly half of the Moon being covered by a shadow. The next partial lunar eclipse is likely to occur in October 2023.

Total

A total lunar eclipse occurs when the Earth perfectly lines itself up with the Moon and Sun. The Earth’s umbra ends up covering the entire Moon, thereby stopping the sunlight from directly falling on the Moon.

Instead, the sunlight on Earth and the light from the atmosphere get reflected back. You might be able to view the Moon as a red sphere because the other blue colors will end up getting scattered easily as compared to the red-orange colors.

These eclipses are rarer as compared to the others, but still take place twice every few years. They tend to start with penumbral and partial eclipses.

If there happens to be a bit more cloudiness in the sky, the scattering is likely to be even more pronounced, causing you to view the Moon as an even brighter red.

When And Where To See The Next Lunar Eclipse

Here are some tips on when and where you can see the next lunar eclipse.

• Make sure you first check whether or not the lunar eclipse will be visible where you live and the time at which it is bound to occur. Be prepared to wake up in the middle of the night or sleep a bit later.

• Try to find a clear and unobstructed or unblocked view of the Moon and the sky. This can be your terrace or a clear field with no nearby buildings. You can also plan a camping trip to the outskirts of your town to access a better view.

• You can view the lunar eclipse with your naked eye, especially if it is a partial and total eclipse. However, if you want to take a closer look, you can carry a telescope with you and set it up ahead of time. Binoculars can also work.

• You can either choose to view the entire cycle of the eclipse or only stick to the total eclipse. Make sure you plan accordingly, since the former might require you to stay up all night while the latter might require you to get to your desired viewing location at the precise time.

Frequently Asked Questions

When Will The Next Few Lunar Eclipses Take Place?

Apart from the lunar eclipse on November 8, 2022, a penumbral lunar eclipse is likely to occur on May 5, 2023, followed by a partial lunar eclipse on October 29, 2023. The year 2024 might also have partial and penumbral lunar eclipses taking place in March and September.

How Long Does A Lunar Eclipse Last?

A lunar eclipse can last for several hours each time. Usually, the total lunar eclipse can last anywhere between 30 minutes and two hours. Penumbral and partial eclipses, which are also how total lunar eclipses start, can last for a total of up to 6 hours, although this can vary a bit.

Can You View A Lunar Eclipse From Anywhere On Earth?

As long as it is nighttime when the lunar eclipse is expected to occur, you can view it from anywhere. Thus, for those on the other side of Earth, where it is daytime, the chances of viewing the same lunar eclipse are minimal.

Conclusion & Summary

There are two lunar eclipses in 2022, one of which has already lapsed. The first one took place on May 15-16, 2022, whereas the second one is on November 8, 2022. Each of these is a total lunar eclipse, allowing you to view the Blood Moon in all its glory.

This kind of lunar eclipse occurs due to the Earth falling between the Sun and Moon and casting a shadow over the Moon.

In order to view the lunar eclipse, you will need to be in a location where it is nighttime and where the Moon is clearly visible.