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Near-total lunar eclipse will be most visible from the Americas
AP News • • science
Key Points:
- A deep partial lunar eclipse will occur Thursday night into Friday, with 96% of the moon's surface obscured, visible across the Americas, Europe, Africa, and the Middle East.
- This eclipse follows a total solar eclipse two weeks ago and is part of the natural pairing of solar and lunar eclipses caused by precise alignments of the sun, moon, and Earth.
- Nearly 1 billion people in the Americas will have full views of the eclipse, while over 3 billion worldwide can see at least part of it, with the event lasting about 5½ hours and peaking just after midnight EDT.
- Astronauts aboard the International Space Station and China's orbiting outpost may also witness the eclipse from space, offering a unique vantage point on this celestial event.
- This is the second lunar eclipse of 2024, with the next total lunar eclipse visible in the Americas not occurring until 2029.
