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At the end of August, the sky will gift us one of the year's most wondrous astronomical spectacles. On the night from 27 to 28 August, two grand events will coincide—the last summer full moon and a partial lunar eclipse that will hide our satellite in Earth's shadow.
A unique night of the copper moon
This year the space show promises to be exceptionally dramatic, as Earth's shadow will cover more than 96 percent of the lunar disk, writes 24 Channel. The eclipse will last more than five and a half hours, and at its peak the Moon will take on an amazing rusty-red color.
Observers will be able to enjoy this spectacle without any special equipment or protective glasses, since the event is completely safe for the eyes. Astronomers from around the world are preparing to capture unique frames.
Sturgeon Moon: history and features
The August full moon is traditionally called the Sturgeon Moon. Its name comes from the Algonquin calendar—the indigenous peoples of North America. During this period at the end of summer, in the Great Lakes and rivers, there was an active catch of large sturgeon, which were regarded as a symbol of plenty. In other cultures, this full moon was called the Blackberry Moon or Green Corn Moon, linking it to the first harvest.
This year the August Moon will pass through apogee—the farthest point of its orbit—so its angular size will appear slightly smaller than average. Nevertheless, it will glow brightly in the sky.
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Deep eclipse: how and when to observe
The uniqueness of the eclipse lies in its scale: 96,2 percent of the lunar disk will be immersed in Earth’s shadow. The maximum phase of the event will occur on 28 August at 7:12 according to Kyiv time. The total eclipse will last 5 hours and 38 minutes, and its partial phase will take 3 hours and 18 minutes.
In Ukraine, observers will be able to see only the early phases of the phenomenon, since the satellite will set behind the horizon before the peak arrives. The shadow of our planet will begin to cover the disk at 4:23 in the morning.
The Red Glow Effect
During the eclipse, the obscured portion of the Moon does not disappear entirely but takes on a copper-red or brick color. Scientists explain this phenomenon by light refraction in the Earth's atmosphere. The atmospheric layer scatters blue rays of the spectrum but transmits long red and orange wavelengths. Essentially, our atmosphere directs light from all sunrise and sunset events on Earth toward the Moon at this moment. The intensity of the color depends on the cleanliness of our atmosphere: the more dust or clouds, the darker and more coppery the Moon will appear.
For those who cannot observe the event live due to weather or geographic location, scientists will organize free online broadcasts on popular astronomical platforms.
The next such deep eclipse that humanity will see will be only at the end of 2028 year.
Document: PDF proof of the original version of the news item "Осетровий Місяць у земній тіні: чого чекати від місячного затемнення у серпні". It records the publication content at the moment of the first scan, the preservation date and the source: Channel 24.
