An ‘Eclipse Season’ Begins Today — Here’s What’s About To Happen - Forbes

What the report says

Forbes reports that a new “eclipse season” began Monday, July 27, opening a 35-day period in which the positions of the sun, moon and Earth make eclipses possible. The window runs through Aug. 31 and is expected to include two major sky events: a total solar eclipse on Aug. 12 and a deep partial lunar eclipse on Aug. 27-28.

According to Forbes contributor Jamie Carter, eclipse seasons occur because the moon’s orbit is tilted relative to Earth’s path around the sun. Most new and full moons pass slightly above or below the alignment needed for an eclipse, but about every 173 days the sun is close enough to one of the moon’s orbital crossing points, or nodes, for eclipses to happen. These seasons usually last roughly 34 to 38 days and often produce a solar and lunar eclipse in the same cycle.

The Aug. 12 total solar eclipse will occur when the new moon covers the sun along a narrow track crossing eastern Greenland, western Iceland and northern Spain, Forbes reported. A partial eclipse is expected across much of Europe, North Africa, the North Atlantic and parts of North America. Along the path of totality, the event is projected to last up to 2 minutes and 18 seconds.

Just over two weeks later, Forbes says about 96% of the full moon will enter Earth’s central shadow, creating a near-total partial lunar eclipse visible across North America, South America, Europe and Africa. The event is notable because much of the moon is expected to take on copper or red tones, resembling a “blood moon” even though it will not be fully eclipsed.