When is there an eclipse in 2023: everything you need to know

Every year there are at least four eclipses, although there can be up to seven. However, the most common is that precisely those occur: four eclipses. That’s what will happen in 2023: two eclipses of the Sun and two eclipses of the Moon. The first occurred in the early hours of Thursday, April 20: a very unusual hybrid solar eclipse. Now, two weeks later, we have been able to enjoy the second, a penumbral lunar eclipse on Friday, May 5, which could be seen over a wide area of ​​the planet.

Eclipses fascinate us because, for a few minutes, they completely change the appearance of the two main stars that we see from Earth, very differently from how we see them during the rest of the year. They arouse our curiosity and admiration, perhaps because They tell us about where we are and about the mysteries of the universe and of life.. Not to say that there are not so many occasions that we have to see them. Although at least four eclipses occur each year, we will not always be able to see them from our area, or we will see them only partially.

Here you will find information about when there is a solar eclipse or lunar eclipse in 2023, what type of eclipse each will be and from where they can be seen. We will explain what happens during eclipses and other curiosities, such as why the Moon sometimes looks red during a lunar eclipse, why there is not a lunar eclipse every month or if eclipses influence people or nature.

When is there an eclipse in 2023?

Eclipses never come alone: two weeks before or after an eclipse occurs there is always another. A lunar eclipse is followed two weeks later by a solar eclipse, or vice versa. In the years in which there are seven eclipses, there can even be three consecutive eclipses separated by two weeks each, although it is not usual and is not the case this year.

The predicted eclipses of 2023 are:

April 20: Hybrid Solar Eclipse (annular/total) May 5: Penumbral Lunar Eclipse October 14: Annular Solar Eclipse October 28: Partial Lunar Eclipse

Hybrid solar eclipse on April 20

The solar eclipse of April 20, 2023 is a rare type of eclipse, a hybrid or mixed annular/total eclipse. This means that it is an eclipse that begins and ends as annular, but in between becomes total. To view this eclipse, like any solar eclipse, it is necessary to use adequate eye protection, since looking at the Sun directly could cause serious damage to your eyesight.

How was the eclipse: During the annular phase, we were witnessing a solar eclipse in which the Moon, the Sun and the Earth were aligned but the Moon did not completely hide the Sun and revealed a ring of light. During the total phase, which was visible in the central area of ​​the eclipse and lasted less than the annular phase, the Moon did completely hide the Sun and it became “night” on Earth, in the strip from where the eclipse was visible. total eclipse. The moment of maximum magnitude was at 6:16 a.m. Central European Time.From where it could be seen: According to data from the National Geographic Institute, this first eclipse in April was visible as annular/total from Indonesia, Australia, and Papua New Guinea. It could also be seen as partial from Southeast Asia, Australia, the Philippines and New Zealand.

As you can see in the 2023 lunar calendar, April 20 was a new moon. Total eclipses always take place on a new Moon.

Penumbral lunar eclipse on May 5

The lunar eclipse of May 5, which came fifteen days after the previous solar eclipse, was a penumbral lunar eclipse. No special equipment is needed to observe a lunar eclipse.

How was the eclipse: The Moon entered Earth’s penumbra, shadowing it slightly.Where it was viewed from: The May eclipse was visible from start to finish from Africa, Asia and Australia. But part of the eclipse could also be seen from many other places on the planet: all of Asia, almost all of Europe, the Pacific and Indian oceans, and Antarctica. According to timeanddate, almost 84% of the world’s population could theoretically see at least part of the eclipse. This includes a large part of the Iberian Peninsula (Galicia is outside), although the eclipse in our area was much shorter and of lesser magnitude than in the area of ​​maximum visibility. The moment of greatest magnitude was at 7:22 p.m., but at that time it could not yet be seen in the Iberian Peninsula, since the Moon had not risen on the horizon. It did so almost two hours later, in the final phase of the eclipse.

Annular solar eclipse of October 14

The solar eclipse of October is the first of this second eclipse season of 2023. In this case, it is an annular solar eclipse and can be seen totally or partially throughout North America.

What will the eclipse be like? It is an annular solar eclipse, with the moment of maximum magnitude at 7:59 p.m. Spanish peninsular time. The Moon stands between the Earth and the Sun, but it will not completely hide the Sun and will show us what is known as the “ring of fire” for a few minutes.From where it can be seen: According to information from NASA, the “ring of fire” can be seen along a long but narrow strip that runs through the western United States, Central America, Colombia and Brazil. In other areas of the American continent (from Alaska to Argentina) you can see a partial solar eclipse with a greater or lesser magnitude as you move away from the eclipse strip.

Partial lunar eclipse on October 28

Two weeks after the annular eclipse of the Sun, there will be a partial eclipse of the Moon that can be seen from Spain.

What will the eclipse be like? This is a low magnitude partial lunar eclipse. 6% of the Moon will enter the Earth’s umbra and become dark.From where it can be seen: According to data from the National Geographic Institute, this October lunar eclipse will be visible throughout Spain. It can also be seen in eastern America, all of Europe, Africa, Asia and Australia.

Lunar eclipses: what are they and when do they occur?

Lunar eclipses occur when the earth stands between the sun and the moon, preventing light from the Sun from reaching the lunar surface and causing the Moon to be totally or partially obscured. All the light that the Moon emits is always reflected light from the Sun, so when the Earth blocks its path, the affected area of ​​the Moon is left in the dark. This happens always in full moon phase

Another way to explain it is that the eclipse occurs when the Moon, in its orbit around the Earth, crosses the central part of “umbra”, the shadow cast by our planet in space. The darkening that we see on the Moon is, then, the shadow that our planet casts on it.

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Types of lunar eclipse

There are several types of lunar eclipses. On the one hand, lunar eclipses can be total or partial, depending on whether or not the entire Moon passes through the umbra. There are also penumbral lunar eclipses.

Total lunar eclipse: When the lunar eclipse is total, the Moon and the Sun are completely aligned with the Earth, and the Earth is in the middle. The Moon, in its orbit around the Earth, fully enters the Earth’s umbra and dimming is evident. During the total phase of the eclipse, the Moon can acquire a dark reddish tone, more or less accentuated, which is known as a “Blood Moon”.Partial lunar eclipse: It happens when the Moon only partially enters the umbra and then only a part of the visible and illuminated side of the full Moon is darkened. It is as if they took a “bite”, greater or lesser, to the Moon.Penumbral lunar eclipse: Penumbral lunar eclipses occur when our satellite does not pass through the center of the Earth’s shadow, but through its outermost part, known as the “penumbra.” In these eclipses the Moon darkens, but to a lesser degree, and it is not always easy to perceive.

Why is the Moon sometimes seen red during a lunar eclipse?

Sometimes, in total lunar eclipses, the surface of the Moon can be seen reddish, as happened in the lunar eclipse of November 8, 2022. It happens when the Moon, fully immersed in the Earth’s umbra, receives residual light from the Sun coming from the Earth’s atmosphere. popularly, this moon is called the blood moon.

This happens because when the light of the Sun “withdraws” from the Moon, another light settles on it: in that light that escapes from the terrestrial atmosphere Long-wave lights, such as red or orange, predominate, while short-wave lights, the bluish ones, disperse on contact with particles suspended in the air. This phenomenon is known as Rayleigh scattering and is also responsible for the orange and reddish colors of sunrise and sunset, when sunlight falls more obliquely on the Earth.

Why isn’t there a lunar eclipse every month?

Since the Moon revolves around the Earth every month, we might wonder why a lunar eclipse doesn’t occur with every lunar cycle. This is because the moon’s orbit is slightly tilted with respect to the orbit of the Earth in its translational movement around the Sun.

Only twice a year, roughly every six months, does it cross paths with Earth’s shadow.

Solar eclipses: what are they and when do they occur?

solar eclipses They always occur on a new Moon, when the Moon passes between the Earth and the Sun, so that it totally or partially blocks the sunlight that reaches the Earth. To view a partial solar eclipse or a total solar eclipse in its partial phase (before it reaches totality), it is essential to wear suitable protective glasses (with special solar filters more powerful than ordinary sunglasses).

Total and annular solar eclipses are so spectacular that many fans organize their vacations thinking about the possibility of observing a great eclipse that year. Luckily, if you can’t travel, eclipses can now be easily followed online, live or recorded. There are also apps that allow you to anticipate the eclipse to find out what it will be like and have all the information so you don’t miss it, such as Eclipsi 2.0., developed by Eduard Masana, a researcher at the Institute of Cosmos Sciences UB-IEEC of the University of Barcelona.

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Types of solar eclipse

There are several types of solar eclipses. On the one hand, solar eclipses can be total or partial, depending on whether the entire Moon completely blocks the light of the Sun or only a part. There are also annular and hybrid eclipses. All of this is influenced by both the alignment of the Earth, the Moon and the Sun and the distance of the Moon from the Earth.

total solar eclipse: In a total solar eclipse, the Moon completely occults the Sun and for a few minutes it becomes night on Earth. They occur when the Earth, the Moon and the Sun are perfectly aligned. It is the only time when the Sun’s corona, the outermost part of its atmosphere, can be observed. The next total solar eclipse will occur on April 8, 2024. Total solar eclipses provide scientists with a unique opportunity to investigate the Sun’s atmosphere.Partial solar eclipse: The Moon hides only a part of the Sun. In no case…