Moon eclipse of July 16, 2019: a show not to be missed!
The Moon eclipse of 16 July 2019 will be visible throughout Italy
The Moon returns to show! After the total eclipse of 21 January 2019, in which the most daring witnessed the “Red Moon”, this time the Earth’s cone of shadow will partially cover our natural satellite, on July 16, 2019.
The partial eclipse of July 16, 2019
It will be a partial Moon eclipse, the one that will affect our natural satellite on the night of July 16, 2019. It will be visible throughout Italy and, unlike the last eclipse, on January 21, 2019, the Earth will obscure with its shadow cone the Moon partially.
The darkened part will be between 55 and 70%. It will affect the Moon starting at 8:42 pm. From this time there will be the beginning of the twilight. The start of the bias will be at 10:01 pm and will reach its maximum at 11:31 pm. At 01:00 am the partiality will end and at 02.19 am the penumbra will end.
What is a Moon eclipse?
The Moon eclipse occurs following the alignment of the Sun and the Earth with our satellite. This is totally obscured (total eclipse) or partially (partial eclipse) from the Earth’s shadow.
This projects a cone of shadow on the surface of the Moon which, being in the “full” phase, appears totally or partially obscured.
In the eclipse of the next 16 July, the Moon will be obscured by about two thirds.
How to observe the eclipse
Unlike the eclipse of the Sun, which requires special instruments to be observed at best (obscured slides, sun filters) without damage to the eyesight, we can observe the partial eclipse quietly with the naked eye or, better, with the aid of optical instruments such as binoculars or telescopes to enjoy a natural show as rare as it is fascinating.
According to mythology…
Ancients considered the Red Moon, the blood moon bad omen. The full moon “devoured” by the shadows of the eclipse was, again for the ancients, synonymous instead of struggles that took place in the sky.
The Moon eclipse is in fact a fascinating phenomenon that gives always conflicting emotions. Ancients saw it as the representation, in the skies, of a struggle that took place between the gods. The obscured Moon was therefore synonymous with misfortunes or unlucky events. It therefore maintains, over the centuries, the legacy of an unfortunate event. This above all because it is the symbol of an “interruption” of perfect stability and regularity that the Moon covers during the year.
In the modern age its connotation has been strongly re-evaluated. Especially with the advent of digital filming and the most advanced technological tools, its negative meaning gives way to the natural beauty and the spectacle that gives lovers of photography and the cosmos.
The next lunar and solar eclipses up to 2027
Partial lunar eclipse – July 16, 2019
Annular Solar Eclipse – June 21, 2020
Annular Solar Eclipse – June 10, 2021
Partial Solar Eclipse – October 25, 2022
Lunar Eclipse (partial) – October 23, 2023
Partial Solar Eclipse – March 29, 2025
Total Lunar Eclipse – September 7, 2026
Partial Solar Eclipse – August 12, 2026
Partial Lunar Eclipse – August 28 2026
Total solar eclipse – 2 August 2027
