Is The Partial Lunar Eclipse Visible In the UK and Is It Worth A Sleepless Night?

At night on 17-18th September, a partial lunar eclipse will be visible from the United Kingdom, Europe, North and South America and the whole of Africa.

The moon will seem to be giant as a full moon, a supermoon, and an eclipse will happen on this day.

What will you see during the partial lunar eclipse?

A lunar eclipse occurs when the Earth passes directly between the Sun and the Moon, casting a shadow on the Moon. In our case, only a part of the Moon passes through Earth’s umbra (the central, darkest part of its shadow). So, during the partial lunar eclipse on 18th September, only a small part of the Moon will be darkened by Earth’s shadow.

So basically, the full moon will look like… not completely full.

The Moon will enter Earth’s penumbra at 1:41 am BST and leave at 5:47 am. The maximum of this eclipse will occur at 3:44 am BST, with only 3.5% of the Moon in Earth’s umbra at this point.

During a lunar eclipse, unlike a solar eclipse, it is safe to view the event directly with the naked eye, making it an accessible celestial event for observation.

Are lunar eclipses rare?

Not really.

A lunar eclipse may happen between two and five times a year. While a total lunar eclipse occurs at least twice every three years. However not every lunar eclipse is visible from the United Kingdom. For example, the last time Britons could observe this astronomical event was on 28 October 2023 when a partial lunar eclipse occurred. Only a small fraction of the full Moon was seen from the UK. At its maximum, which occurred at 21:15, just 12% was in Earth’s shadow, with 6% in the umbra.

Weather forecast: Will The Partial Lunar Eclipse Be Visible Above London?

The Met Office weather forecast says clouds will partially cover the sky, but you will still be able to see the eclipse.

Is It Worth Waiting for?

Whether it’s worth waiting for a partial lunar eclipse on 18 September, everyone decided for themselves. However, considering the timing (1:40 am) and day of the week (Wednesday), no wonder that any will simply skip it this time.

But if you have a sleepless night, you should definitely watch the skies for the lunar eclipse and bloody supermoon and share your experience with Orbital Today!