The fourth and last lunar eclipse of 2020 will occur on Monday, November 30. It will also be the last full moon of the year, also known as the 'Beaver' Moon in some parts of the world, which will light up the sky in the wee hours on Monday.
The full beaver moon will coincide with the penumbral lunar eclipse, which happens when the Earth, Moon, and Sun are not perfectly aligned.
What is a penumbral lunar eclipse?
During a penumbral lunar eclipse, the Earth, the Sun, and the Moon are in an imperfect alignment. The Earth partially blocks the Sun's light from reaching the moon with the penumbra-the outer portion of its shadow, thus making the eclipse seem like a normal Full Moon, just a little fainter. In the penumbral lunar eclipse, the regions eclipsed by the earth appear slightly fainter than the rest of the Moon.
Lunar eclipse timings
In India, the last lunar eclipse of the year will start at 1:04 am and end at 5:22 pm on Monday.
Where will the lunar eclipse be visible?
The eclipse will be visible from Australia, Southeast Asia, parts of the western US, and western South America. In Europe, it will only be visible in the British Isles, Sweden, Norway, and Finland. The lunar eclipse will also be visible in east-central Asia, Indonesia, and Australia.
However, this time, the lunar eclipse will not be visible in India as it will be below the horizon.
What is beaver moon?
The beaver moon is the last full moon before the winter solstice on December 21. It will be in its fullest phase on Monday at 4:30 a.m. The beaver moon gets its nickname because beavers build their winter dams to shield themselves from the cold during this time. Other nicknames of the beaver moon include the cold moon, the mourning moon, and the frost moon.
This year, a total of four lunar eclipses occurred and all were penumbral ones. The previous three occurred on January 10, June 5, and July 5. The next lunar eclipse will occur on May 26, 2021.
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