The only partial lunar eclipse of the year

The phenomenon lasted for more than 1 hour with its peak at 3:14 am this morning, October 29, and could be observed throughout Vietnam.

On the morning of October 29, people in Asia, Europe and Africa were able to observe the only partial lunar eclipse of the year. The eclipse reached its peak at 3:14 a.m. with about 6% of the Moon's bright disk entering the Earth's shadow. Photo: Thanh Hoa Astronomy Club.

The lunar eclipse begins at 2:35 a.m. and ends at 3:52 a.m. (Hanoi time), divided into stages: the beginning of the penumbral lunar eclipse (the moon dims and darkens), the partial lunar eclipse (the moon darkens or turns slightly red), the maximum partial lunar eclipse (the best time to observe), the end of the partial lunar eclipse (the moon is still in the half-shadow) and the end of the penumbral lunar eclipse (the moon completely leaves the penumbral region).

In the photo is the Moon observed in Ca Mau. Photo: Thinh Lebuna

Nguyen Van Tuan, admin of the Quang Ngai Amateur Astronomy Club (QAAC), said that this lunar eclipse took place in the early morning so there was no community observation or livestream, but the phenomenon was awaited by many young people who love astronomy.

In Quang Ngai, the weather was quite clear and favorable for observation. Tuan took a photo when the eclipse was at its peak. "This partial eclipse is quite small, only accounting for about 6% of the covered area. Some of the less bright areas have a slightly red color when observed with the naked eye," Tuan shared. Photo: Van Tuan

Vo Duc Quan, a junior high school student in Ninh Thuan province, said he observed the phenomenon at 3am, the time when the eclipse was at its peak. "It was very interesting, although it was only a partial eclipse, I was very happy to witness it, the weather was quite favorable, the Moon was very bright." Photo: Duc Quan

Although the dark part of the eclipse could be seen with the naked eye, Quan still used a telescope and a phone mounted on a tripod to get the desired photo. Photo: Duc Quan

Partial lunar eclipses may not be as spectacular as total lunar eclipses, when the Moon is completely covered by the Earth's shadow, but they occur more frequently, according to NASA. This is a partial lunar eclipse captured at 3:05 a.m. through a telescope. Photo: Viet Le

According to Mr. Dang Vu Tuan Son, Chairman of the Vietnam Astronomy and Cosmology Association (VACA), this is the second lunar eclipse this year, after the penumbral lunar eclipse in May. In Vietnam, astronomy enthusiasts will not have the opportunity to observe the next lunar eclipse until September 2025.

Nhu Quynh

Vnexpress.net