Eclipses tend to come
in pairs. Twice a year, during
an eclipse season that lasts about 34 days, Sun, Moon, and Earth can nearly
align. Then the full and new phases of the Moon, separated by just over 14 days, create a lunar and a
solar eclipse. But only rarely is the alignment at both new moon and full moon
phases during a single eclipse season close enough to produce a pair with both
total (or a total and an annular) lunar and solar eclipses. More often, partial
eclipses are part of any eclipse season. In fact, the last eclipse season of
2024 produced this fortnight-separated eclipse pair: a partial lunar eclipse on 18 September and an annular solar eclipse on 2 October. The time-lapse composite images
were captured from Somerset, UK (left) and Rapa Nui planet Earth. The 2025 eclipse seasons will see a total lunar eclipse on 14 March
paired with a partial solar eclipse on 29 March, and a total lunar eclipse on 8
September followed by a partial solar eclipse on 21 September.
Image & info via APOD
Image
Credit & Copyright: Josh Dury
Source: Eclipse Pair – Scents of Science
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