Lunar eclipse May 2023: this is how it influences people

The second eclipse of 2023 has arrived and, on this occasion, it was the light of the full Moon that was eclipsed by the Earth. This has occurred friday may 5 and has done so only tenuously in what is known as a penumbral lunar eclipsea type of lunar eclipse in which what can be observed is a soft shadowing of our satellite.

This penumbral lunar eclipse, the next in the 2023 eclipse calendar, has arrived just, as usual, two weeks after the first eclipse that we were able to enjoy this eclipse season, the spectacular hybrid solar eclipse of April 20 that during little more than a minute plunged some areas of the Earth into complete darkness.

Although Spain is not in the zone of maximum visibility of the lunar eclipse, this time it has been able to the shadowing of the Moon can be followed from a large part of the Iberian Peninsula. Of course, only in its final phase, for a brief moment and of lesser magnitude.

How was the lunar eclipse of May 5?

During a penumbral lunar eclipse, the moon enters the penumbra of the earth Full moon in May, that is, in the outermost shadow of the Earth in which the light of the Sun is only partially covered.
In Friday’s eclipse, the Moon fully illuminated, it entered the gloom of Earth and became darker.

Lunar eclipses always occur during the full moon, when the Moon and the Sun align with the Earth on opposite sides. When the full Moon fully or partially enters the central part of the Earth’s shadow, it completely darkens producing a total or partial lunar eclipse, but when it only enters the penumbra darkens to a lesser degree.

As the Moon continues to receive some sunlight, sometimes this type of eclipse can be difficult to perceive if you are not warned.

Where was the eclipse seen from?

Just as solar eclipses can only be seen from a more or less narrow strip of the Earth, lunar eclipses can be seen from the half of the Earth that is facing the Moonin any area where the Moon has already risen above the horizon and has not yet set.

During the lunar eclipse on May 5, there have been areas where the eclipse has been visible since it began until it ended, but there were also others in which only a part was seen, either at the beginning or towards the end.

Africa, Asia and Australia They have been able to see it from beginning to end. However, in many other places on the planet, such as all of Asia, most of Europe, the Pacific and Indian oceans, and Antarctica, only a part could be seen. In fact, according to data from timeanddate, almost 84% of the world’s population could theoretically see at least part of the eclipse.

Was the lunar eclipse seen in Spain?

Although the eclipse in our area it was much shorter and of lesser magnitude that in the zone of maximum visibility, we could see a part of the eclipse in much of the Iberian Peninsula, specifically the last part.

Galicia was left out and, within the zone of visibility, the more to the west the shorter the visible part of the eclipse lasted and the further it was from the moment of maximum magnitude.

What time was the lunar eclipse?

According to Time and Date, the lunar eclipse began at 5:14 p.m. Spanish peninsular time and ended at 9:31 p.m., with a duration of 4 hours and 18 minutes. The moment of greatest magnitude was at 7:22 p.m. Spanish peninsular time.

At that time, the Moon had not yet risen above the horizon at any point on the Iberian Peninsula. she started doing it in the Balearic Islands around a quarter to nine and on the entire peninsular coast shortly before nine. At that time the eclipse was facing its final leg.

You can check the time at which the Moon rose in your location and the moment of maximum magnitude in your area by indicating your location on this Time and Date page.

How does this lunar eclipse influence us?

The lunar eclipse on May 5 occurs with the full moon in scorpio. In general, eclipses are considered in astrology very powerful moments energetically that can propitiate changes and generate opportunities. It is also considered that its energy is felt throughout the planet, wherever we are and we can see it or not.

According to Marga Roldán, an agronomist specialized in organic farming and passionate about nature and astrology, on this occasion the full Moon and the eclipse offer a favorable moment for “bring to light what we do not want to see about ourselveswhat we hide or do not accept, and in this way to integrate it as a part of us that sometimes conditions us and makes us feel uncomfortable”.

“The invitation this week,” he adds, “is to look up so that the powerful light of the full Moon, even eclipsed, illuminates the most hidden corners of our personality and brings clarity and understanding to our internal processes.”

In the lunar haircut and waxing calendar, the recommendations also take into account eclipses, which according to biodynamic agriculture are moments that do not favor garden tasks or certain personal care.

Could the Red Moon or Blood Moon be seen?

No, it couldn’t be seen. The Red Moon or Blood Moon is a optical phenomenon that occurs only during total lunar eclipses. In these, the light of the Sun does not reach the Moon but the residual light of the Earth does. As a consequence of what is known as Rayleigh scattering, only the wavelengths of this light that give a reddish hue reach the lunar surface.

When will the next eclipse be?

Eclipses never come alone. About two weeks before or after a solar eclipse occurs, a lunar eclipse always arrives, and vice versa. This is what has happened with this penumbral lunar eclipse, which, as we have seen, occurs two weeks after the hybrid solar eclipse that took place last April.

Every year between four and five eclipses take place, at least two lunar eclipses and two solar eclipses, and in 2023 there are four eclipses specifically. The next lunar eclipse will come on October 28, 2023.

In the case of the eclipse of October 28, it will be a partial lunar eclipse and will be visible throughout Spain. It can also be seen in eastern America, all of Europe, Africa, Asia and Australia.

previous lunar eclipses

The last lunar eclipse that we were able to witness occurred on November 8, 2022 and, on that occasion, we were able to enjoy a total lunar eclipse.

Lunar eclipse of November 8, 2022

The lunar eclipse of November 8, the fourth and final eclipse of 2022, was a total lunar eclipse and allowed to see the red Moon from the middle of the planet. It was the second total lunar eclipse of the year: On May 16, another total lunar eclipse also dyed the Moon red..

During the fringe of the total lunar eclipse, with a duration of 85 minutes, the Moon was shadowed by Earth but was seen reddish, or coppery from some areas. This reddish color is what makes total lunar eclipses also often known as a red moon or blood moon.

From where could the eclipse be seen? The eclipse on November 8 was visible in North America, Central America, Ecuador, Colombia, and parts of western Venezuela and Peru. It could also be seen from Asia, Australia and New Zealand. In Alaska and Hawaii the eclipse was seen in its entirety, with all its stages.Could the eclipse be seen in Spain? In Spain the eclipse could not be seen, because at the time it began, the Moon had already hidden behind the horizon.Could the red Moon be seen? During a total lunar eclipse, the light from the Sun that normally illuminates the Moon is blocked by the interposition of the Earth, but then another light falls on the Moon: residual light from the Earth. That is to say, the lunar surface is illuminated at that moment only by the light that escapes from the terrestrial atmosphere. Due to a phenomenon known as Raileigh scattering, the same one that dyes sunrise or sunset red and orange, the Moon acquires a dark reddish hue that completely changes the landscape in the sky.What sign was the moon in? The lunar eclipse of November 2022 took place with the full Moon in Taurus, astrologically speaking.