Third Lunar Eclipse of Year 2020 tonight, not to be sighted in Pakistan

KARACHI: The world will witness this year’s third Lunar eclipse tonight (Sunday night), which will not be visible in Pakistan, according to a statement of the met office.

Tonight’s eclipse will be penumbral lunar eclipse, experts said.

In Penumbral Lunar eclipse, the moon is covered by Earth’s lighter or outermost shadow and usually difficult to observe.

There will be four eclipses to be witnessed this year across our planet.

The lunar eclipse, which will not be sighted in Pakistan, will begin at 8:07 AM of Pakistan Standard Time (PST). It will reach to its climax at 9:30 AM and will end by 10:52 AM, having a duration of two hours and 45 minutes.

This eclipse will be visible in South/West Europe, much of Africa, most of North America, South America, Pacific, Atlantic, Indian Ocean and Antarctica, Pakistan’s met office said.

A lunar eclipse occurs when the Earth obstructs the way between the sun and the moon. During the lunar eclipse, Earth moves in between the sun and the moon and obstruct the sunlight that is reflected by the moon.

There are three types of lunar eclipse – a total lunar eclipse, partial lunar eclipse and penumbral lunar eclipse.

During the eclipse, 90 percent of the moon’s surface partially covered by the Earth with only the outer part of the shadow appearing. While these eclipses are usually a little darker, they cannot be easily distinguished from a regular full moon sighting but can be easily seen, as long as the sky is clear.

The first lunar eclipse of the year 2020 was witnessed in January, second in June and fourth and last lunar eclipse of the year will be sighted on November 30.