Supermoons, meteor showers, planetary oppositions… All of this is what we will be able to see in the sky during 2023, a year that comes with a very busy astronomical agenda.
And as if that weren’t enough, during the 365 days we will witness various solar eclipses and lunar eclipses of different types.
How many eclipses will there be in 2023?
In total, during 2023 we will be able to see four eclipses: two will be total eclipses on Mondayoh the others two will be partial solar eclipses.
When will the 2023 eclipses be seen and where?
April 20, 2023: There will be a hybrid solar eclipse which can be seen in Southeast Asia, Australia, the Pacific and Indian Oceans, and Antarctica. This is a rare and spectacular phenomenon that occurs only a few times each century and packs the characteristics of all eclipses into one.
5 and 6 May 2023: There will be a penumbral lunar eclipse. It will be visible in southeastern Europe, large parts of Asia, Australia, Africa, the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian oceans, and Antarctica.
October 14, 2023: We will attend to annular solar eclipse (or ring of fire) which can be seen in West Africa, North America, South America, the Arctic, and the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.
How many types of eclipses are there?
On our planet, we can experience two types of eclipses: solar eclipses and lunar eclipses.
A solar eclipse It occurs when our natural satellite, the Moon, enters the path of sunlight and casts its shadow on the Earth. This means that during the day the Moon moves in front of the Sun and it gets dark.
Although the Earth, Sun and Moon are also involved in the lunar eclipse, the difference is in how they are arranged. In a lunar eclipse, the Earth is placed between the Sun and the Moon; In a solar eclipse, it is the Moon that is between the Earth and the Sun.
What is a lunar eclipse and why does it happen?
A lunar eclipse happens when the sun, earth and moon align so that the moon passes into the earth’s shadowexplains NASA.
During a total lunar eclipsethe entire Moon falls into the darkest part of the Earth’s shadow, called umbrian.
This type of total lunar eclipse only occurs on the full moon phase and, as we have detailed, it is generated when the Earth is between it and the Sun. In this way, our natural satellite enters the threshold zone and is completely obscured.
Thus a shadow cone is generated which gives the Moon a reddish hue while it is in its full phase: this is what is known as “Red Moon”.
This red color is due to the fact that the little sunlight crossing the planet’s atmosphere it takes on that shade when refract and project on the surface of the Moon.
In this way, the atmosphere acts as a “light filter” which prevents the projection of blue colors, which dissolve in space.
There are three types of lunar eclipse: penumbral lunar eclipse, partial lunar eclipse, and total lunar eclipse.
What is a solar eclipse and why does it happen?
A Sun eclipse happens when the moon crosses the path of the sunlight and casts its shadow on the earth. This means that in broad daylight, and as the Moon moves in front of the Sun, everything becomes dark and, in some cases, it even seems that “It’s Getting Dark”.
This alignment coincides with the New moon and indicates that the Moon is very close to the ecliptic plane.
The solar eclipses They can be totals, if the sunlight is completely hidden by the Moon; or annular Y partialif only part of the Sun is covered.
Source: Clarin
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.