November Sky will Feature a Meteor Shower and Penumbral Lunar Eclipse

We have witnessed different, stunning astronomical events in the past months of this year, including the Penumbral Eclipse of the Moon and the Annular Solar Eclipse in June, the Southern Delta Aquarid Meteor Shower and the Comet NEOWISE in July, The Perseids Meteor Shower in August, the Autumnal Equinox in September, and the October Orionid Meteor Shower and the Blue Moon in October.

For this year’s month of November, based on the latest astronomical diary issued by the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), the night sky will feature a Leonids Meteor Shower and a Penumbral Lunar Eclipse. Know when these events will occur and prepare to mark your calendars!

Leonids Meteor Shower

The radiant of the Leonids Meteor Shower can be found in the constellation Leo which is located in the eastern section of the sky. This meteor shower is caused by bits of debris left behind by the repeat passages of comet 55P/Tempel-Tuttle through the inner solar system.

Leonids is among the most prolific meteor showers and it has already produced hundreds of meteors in the previous years, however for this year, astronomers and experts do not predict as many meteors.

“A zenithal hourly rate (ZHR) of about 15 meteors might occur in the late hours of November 17 until dawn of the following day.”

– PAGASA

“Under ideal conditions, this shower is expected to produce between 10 and 20 visible meteors per hour near its peak.”

– NASA

Ideal Conditions to Watch the Meteor Shower

Planning to watch the meteor shower? Based on the update provided by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Solar System Exploration, the ideal conditions include the following:

• A dark place far from any light sources
• Clear skies with no clouds or high hazes
• A clear view of a large expanse of the sky
• Plenty of uninterrupted darkness to allow your eyes to adapt

Penumbral Lunar Eclipse

A penumbral eclipse of the Moon or Penumbral Lunar Eclipse will occur on November 30, 2020, and guess what? It will be visible in the Philippines and can also be observed in other parts of the world, including N.W. Europe, the Americas, Oceania, most of Asia.

The Penumbral Lunar Eclipse will start at 3:32 PM when the Moon enters penumbra and will end at 7:53 PM (Philippine Standard Time). What is a penumbra? According to PAGASA, it refers to a partially shaded outer region of a shadow that an object casts.

“A penumbral eclipse occurs when the moon passes through the faint penumbral portion of the earth’s shadow.”

– PAGASA

Wondering what to expect from the eclipse? During the eclipse, the lunar surface is not completely shadowed by the earth’s umbra (darkest part of a shadow).

“Observers can see only the slightest dimming near the lunar limb closest to the umbra,” PAGASA further explained. “The eclipse may be undetectable unless at least half of the moon enters the penumbra.”

The NASA Solar System Exploration, on the other hand, stated something of the same note, “…the slight dimming of the Moon will be hard to notice without instrumentation.”

For More News and Updates

Looking for more news and updates like this one? Feel free to explore our Baguio City Guide website and our official Baguio City Guide Facebook page to catch more content.

 

Source: PAGASA Astronomical Diary, NASA Solar System Exploration