A total lunar eclipse and meteor shower will be seen over Bicol skies during the mission week.
In its monthly astronomical diary, the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said a total lunar eclipse will occur on Dec. 10. The eclipse will begin at 7:33 p.m. and end at 1:30 a.m. the following day. The moon will rise around 5:13 p.m. on Dec. 10 and set at 5:38 a.m. the following day. A lunar eclipse takes place when the Earth is between the Sun and the Moon so that the shadow of the Earth falls on the Moon. The penumbra, a Latin word meaning “for almost-shadow,” is the portion of a shadow resulting from the source of illumination being only partially blocked.
The major phases of the eclipse are as follows: penumbral eclipse begins at 7:33 p.m.; partial eclipse at 8:45 p.m.; greatest eclipse (total eclipse) at 10:31 p.m.; partial eclipse ends at 12:17 a.m. on Dec. 11 and the penumbral eclipse concludes at 1:30 a.m. on Dec. 11. The eclipse will also be visible in North America except for the eastern section, Hawaii Island, Oceania, Australasia, some parts of Asia, eastern Africa and Eastern Europe.
From Dec. 14 to 15, on the other hand, the Geminids meteor shower will reach its peak. Under a dark and cloudless sky just after midnight of its peak activity, you will see meteors or ‘falling stars’ at an average rate of forty meteors per hour. The only snag is that a waning gibbous moon will be in the sky on the nights of this shower which will interfere with the show. Ah well... - Al
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