March 24, 2024
A full moon occurs tonight. Additionally, we can experience a penumbral lunar eclipse. A penumbral lunar eclipse occurs when the Moon enters the outer part of Earth’s shadow – the penumbra. The effect of a penumbral lunar eclipse is a very slight darkening of the Moon, which can be difficult to detect with the naked eye. During a partial, or total lunar eclipse, when the Moon enters the umbra, or darkest part of Earth’s shadow, the change is much more noticeable.
Full Moon occurs on March 25, 2024, around 2:00 am CDT. Image credit: NASA, SVS, Ernie Wright, Noah Petro, David Ladd.