2024, March 25:  Worm Moon Penumbral Lunar Eclipse

March 25, 2024:  A Worm moon penumbral lunar eclipse occurs during early morning hours.  The moon passes through the outer regions of Earth’s shadow, reducing its reflected sunlight.

Eclipse of the moon, February 10, 2017
Penumbra Eclipse, February 10, 2017

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by Jeffrey L. Hunt

Chicago, Illinois: Sunrise, 6:45 a.m. CDT; Sunset, 7:09 p.m. CDT.  Check local sources for sunrise and sunset times. Times are calculated by the US Naval Observatory’s MICA computer program.

Worm Moon Penumbral Lunar Eclipse

Worm Moon Penumbral Lunar eclipse, March 25, 2024
Chart Caption – 2024, March 25: This chart shows Earth’s shadows for this morning’s penumbral lunar eclipse.

A Worm moon penumbral eclipse occurs during this morning’s early hours. A few minutes before the calendar day begins, the moon starts to pass through the outer layer of Earth’s shadow.  By 2:12 a.m. CDT, the moon is completely within the penumbral shadow, but the moon’s light is reduced only slightly.

The moon is at the Full phase at 2 a.m., when it is opposite the sun.

Lunar Eclipse, May 15, 2022.
Photo Caption – Lunar Eclipse, May 15, 2022.

Planets and moons cast two round shadows, resembling a target, into space from sunlight.  The center shadow, known as the umbra, is dark and the sun is not visible.  When the moon passes by at a Full phase, it can be partly eclipsed or sunlight is completely blocked by Earth.  When the moon slips through the outer shadow, the penumbra, the eclipse is not easily spotted, such as this morning’s eclipse.  The Observer’s Handbook states that this is usually not noticed until two-thirds of the moon is in the penumbra.  This occurs approximately 1:25 a.m. CDT.

After the peak time the moon moves out of the shadow, leaving the penumbra at 4:34 a.m. CDT.

Summaries of Current Sky Events
Summary for Venus as a Morning Star, 2023-24

Here is today’s planet forecast:

Morning Sky

Morning Worm Moon

2024, March 25: The moon is in the western sky near Spica before daybreak.
Chart Caption – 2024, March 25: The moon is in the western sky near Spica before daybreak.

An hour before sunrise, the Worm moon is less than 15° up in the west-southwest and less than 20° to the lower right of Spica – meaning the “ear of corn,” Virgo’s brightest star.

Mars, Saturn, and Venus

2007, December 1: Late winter in the northern hemisphere shows clouds above the northern polar cap and some above the southern cap.
Photo Caption – 2007, December 1: Late winter in the northern hemisphere shows clouds above the northern polar cap and some above the southern cap. (NASA Photo)

Three planets are awash in bright morning twilight.  Mars continues to slowly emerge from the sun’s glare.  It gains one minute of rising time compared to sunrise every three to four days, rising this morning at 70 minutes before the sun.  At 40 minutes before daybreak, the Red Planet is visible through a binocular, nearly 5° above the horizon.  The sky is too bright to see it without optical help.

Rising 42 minutes before the sun, Saturn is lost in the bright twilight of the approaching daybreak.

In contrast, Venus is bright.  Rising eight minutes after Saturn, the planet is 3° above the east-southeast horizon at 15 minutes before sunrise.  It can be found, but it is an extremely challenging view.

Evening Sky

Spot Mercury after Sunset

2024, March 25: Jupiter and Mercury are in the western sky after nightfall.
Chart Caption – 2024, March 25: Jupiter and Mercury are in the western sky after nightfall.

Mercury continues in its best evening exhibition of the year.  At 45 minutes after sundown, it is nearly 10° up in the western sky and over 20° to the lower right of bright Jupiter.  The planet sets nearly 100 minutes after sundown for the next two evenings and then begins to lose three to four minutes of setting time compared to sunset.

As the planet retreats, it is dimmer.  Currently it is bright enough to shine through the colorful hues of evening twilight.  Use a binocular to initially locate it.

Evening Moon

Moon and Spica, March 25, 2024
Chart Caption – 2024, March 25: Three hours after sundown, the bright moon is near Spica.

At one hour after sundown, the bright moon, 99% illuminated, is above the east-southeast horizon.  By three hours after nightfall, the lunar orb is over 20° above the horizon and 8.5° above Spica.

During the night, the pair is farther westward from Earth’s rotation.  Tomorrow morning, notice the proximity of the moon and Spica.

Jupiter and Uranus

2024, March 25: Jupiter and Uranus appear in the same binocular field of view.
Chart Caption – 2024, March 25: Jupiter and Uranus appear in the same binocular field of view.

This evening attempt to find Uranus in the same binocular field with bright Jupiter. Place the Jovian Giant toward the bottom of the field.  Locate brighter stars Sigma (σ Ari on the chart), Pi (π Ari), and Rho (ρ Ari) in Aries.  The star Delta (δ Ari), also known as Botein, is toward the top of the field.

Aquamarine Uranus is toward the upper left, near the stars 53 (53 Ari) and 54 (Ari) in Aries.  They might be washed out by the moonlight.  Star 53 is distinctly bluish, while 54 is rosy, similar to Botein’s hue.

Jupiter sets in the west-northwest over three hours after sundown.

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