Sky & Telescope - May 2022 - 48

West
East
GREGG DINDERMAN / S&T, SOURCE: USNO (2)
MAY 2022 OBSERVING
Celestial Calendar by Bob King
Total Lunar Eclipse
May 16, 2022
North
M
U
B
Partial
eclipse
begins
2:28 UT
Moon enters
penumbra
(unobservable)
1:31 UT
utes. The color and brightness contrast
between the Moon's northern hemisphere
(which grazes the center of
the umbra) and southern hemisphere
should make the lunar globe appear
distinctly three dimensional.
Observers across the Americas will
Total
MidTotal
Moon
leaves
penumbra
(unobservable)
6:52
UT
Partial
eclipse
ends
5:56 UT
South
eclipse
ends
4:54 UT
eclipse
4:12 UT
eclipse
begins
3:29 UT
A Flower Moon Eclipse
F
This month offers the first total lunar eclipse in a year.
or many Northern Hemisphere skywatchers,
May occupies a sweet spot
between two of amateur astronomy's
biggest banes: winter cold and mosquitos.
May's full Moon is traditionally
known as the Flower Moon, echoing the
agreeable nature of this time of year.
And when a total lunar eclipse falls in
Evening of May 16
this merry month, you'll certainly want
to stay up to watch the whole thing.
Unlike last November's near-total
event, on the night of May 15-16 the
entire Moon will be covered by Earth's
inner shadow. The Moon traverses the
southern half of the umbral shadow,
where it spends a generous 85 minwitness
most or all of the eclipse. The
partial phase begins at 10:28 p.m. EDT
on May 15th (2:28 UT on May 16th),
but keen eyes might detect the grayish
shading of Earth's penumbral shadow
draped across the left side of the lunar
disk half an hour earlier. Totality runs
from 11:29 p.m. EDT on May 15th to
12:54 a.m. EDT on May 16th (3:29 to
4:54 UT on the 16th), with greatest
eclipse occurring at 12:12 a.m. EDT
(4:12 UT). As the Moon slowly exits
the umbra, the partial phase plays out
in reverse until 1:56 a.m. EDT (5:56
UT). Finally, the penumbral portion of
the eclipse concludes at 2:52 a.m. EDT
(6:52 UT).
In North America, viewers in the
eastern half of the continent will see
all phases of the eclipse. Along the
West Coast, the Moon rises around
sunset with totality about to begin.
Although twilight compromises the
view, a low Moon in deepening dusk
should offer some beautiful photographic
possibilities as the sky darkens
with totality underway.
From San Francisco, skywatchers will
Daytime
(Moon not up)
Entire
eclipse
visible
see a squished, lunar sliver rise in the
southeastern
sky as the Sun
sets in the west.
The total eclipse
begins about
15 minutes
later, with the
Moon becoming
increasingly
apparent in a
darkening sky.
As astroMorning
of May 16
Daytime
(Moon not up)
Mid-eclipse
at zenith
nomical twilight
ends, the
Moon starts to
exit the umbra.
Since totality
occurs close
to sunset, you
48 MAY 2022 * SKY & TELESCOPE
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Sky & Telescope - May 2022

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