The delightful dark of the Moon

Author’s note: In about two weeks from this posting, a total eclipse of the Moon will occur. It will be the second total lunar eclipse of 2022, and it will be visible, clouds permitting, in the predawn hours of Nov. 8. And yes, from right here in the U.S.!

But what was this year's first total lunar eclipse like? Join me!

My view of the May 15-16, 2022, total lunar eclipse; the constellation Scorpius is rising from the trees with its brightest star, Antares, just visible.

An astronomical vision described by “Pittsburgh Pete” Zapadka, May 16, 2022: Indigenous frogs provided a serenade, a curious rabbit hopped in for a very close inspection of a stationary astronomer, and an owl “who whoo-ed” from a distant tree to the south. The gnawing southern insects were kept at bay with the deft use of a good repellent spray.

And though obscuring clouds drifted in from time to time to block the cosmic canvas, the view of the May 15-16, 2022, total eclipse of the Moon was more than delightful.

It is possible I still was smiling when I awakened this morning.

One of nature’s grand spectacles, a total lunar eclipse occurs when the Moon is full and passes into the depths of Earth’s shadow. The “pock-marked orb” then only receives a fraction of sunlight, rays that manage to reach it after being refracted by our planet’s atmosphere.

On this steamy southern night, I watched with just my eyes and venerable 10x50 binoculars as the partial phase of the eclipse began at 10:28 p.m. EDT May 15 while totality started at 11:29 p.m. Mid-eclipse was at 12:12 a.m. (May 16 for EDT viewers), the total phases ended at 12:54 a.m., and the partial eclipse was over by 1:56 a.m. I watched until about 1:20 a.m. Bed was calling.

Not at all bloody: This was one of the darkest lunar eclipses I’ve seen. Not the darkest, but one of the darkest. Apparently Earth’s atmosphere is dirtier than usual, and the debris helped block sunlight from bending around our planet and onto the Moon.

I don’t prefer the term “blood moon.” It’s inaccurate and way too sinister for such a lovely sight.

I will say the Moon’s appearance evolved from a copper red, to a pale orange, to perhaps even an attractive peach color at times. Or, as my wife and muse Amy often says, “Peachy!”

But the darkness was most evident. For the most part, it covered as much as seven-eighths of the lunar disk. At the onset of totality, I watched a small lighter area appear to move from, let's say, the 1 o'clock position on the lunar disk all the way down and through until about the 8 o'clock position, where totality finally ended (sorry for those o'clock technical terms!).

I was gleeful as I watched the Moon evolve as a rosy pink to a brightening gem as it emerged from Earth’s shadow.

Dancing with the real stars: The full Moon normally is much too brilliant to allow background stars to be seen. Not so during a total eclipse. These distant diamonds became more evident as darkness progressed. What a glittering background in the constellation Libra!

I first noticed a line of three stars of similar brightness just to the southeast of the Moon. More on them in a minute. But my eyes were drawn to a grouping farther east that, to my mind, resembled a tiny version of the constellation Delphinus. Imagine a kite with a flowing tail; that will give you a picture.

The brightest of that group was Kappa Librae, which I later learned is called a hypergiant some 310 light-years distant. Next to it was 41 Librae, a yellow dwarf star and at a similar distance. Other stars of similar brightness seemed to hang below.

But let’s return to the three stars that appeared near the Moon.

They were identified by Sky Guide, my trusty astronomy software in my iPhone as HD 138413, HD 138268 and HD 138105. No worries; there will be no quiz at the end of the week. They have other equally clumsy names.

Let’s focus on HD 138268, the middle star. During the eclipse, the Moon appeared to glide closer and closer – until the star disappeared behind the lunar disk! This coincidentally is called an occultation, which has nothing to do with the occult or, um, a blood Moon.

HD 138268, by the way, is a blue-white multiple star system at about 284 light-years.

The star HD 138268 as it is about to be covered by the Moon.

What a delight, oh, that total eclipse of the Moon! And a stellar disappearance.

But it’s time to turn our eyes to the next one, the wee hours of Nov. 8, 2022. Get ready for one of nature’s beautiful spectacles!

Learn more here: https://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/in/usa/pittsburgh

This website is a great resource! And it will allow you to change locations to provide data for where you live, if you like. But here is a Pittsburgh-centered chart to provide a quick, at-a-glance look at what to expect:

By the way, the penumbral phase generally is not visible, other than perhaps a slight, gray shading of that pock-marked orb. You’ll be more interested in the penumbral and total phases.

Prepare to get mooned!