A lunar eclipse will join the Venus full moon in May 2023.
On Friday (May 5) at 11:15 a.m. EST (1515 GMT), the lunar eclipse will begin as the moon enters the outer edge of Earth’s shadow. This particular type of lunar eclipse is known as a penumbral, which means that skywatchers will be able to see the moon’s face dim without it disappearing completely. The event will peak at 1:24 PM EST (1724 GMT), about two hours after it began, and end at 3:32 PM EST (1932 GMT) as Earth’s shadow leaves the Moon again.
Unfortunately for those of us in the Western Hemisphere, this event will only be visible from Australia, Antarctica, East Africa, Oceania, and Asia. Fortunately, the Virtual Telescope Project will be hosting a free live stream of the lunar eclipse of the full moon of Venus Starting at 2:45 p.m. EST (1845 GMT) on Friday (May 5). The live broadcast will be available at The project Location (Opens in a new tab) or YouTube channel (Opens in a new tab).
Related: Lunar eclipse 2023: when, where and how to see it
Read more: Coming lunar eclipse on the fifth of May. Here’s what you need to know
Like all lunar eclipses, this event will occur as the Sun, Earth, and Moon line up in a straight line. The Earth will be in the middle of this arrangement, which means it will cast a shadow on the face of the Moon as it blocks the sun’s light.
This particular eclipse is known as a lunar eclipse, named after the part of Earth’s shadow that will appear on the Moon. The umbra is the darkest, innermost part of the shadow, while the umbra is the outer, lighter area that is not completely dark.
This means that this eclipse will not be as dramatic as the total eclipse, as the face of the moon becomes completely dark. Instead, skywatchers should see a dark gray or brown shadow across part of the moon’s face, covering up to 94.6% of the moon at the height of the eclipse.
Lunar eclipses can make interesting observations of the moon’s features as Earth’s shadow moves across it. If you don’t have everything you need to get a close-up look at the moon during an eclipse or any other time, our guides to the best telescopes and best binoculars are a great place to start.
Meanwhile, if you live in a location that can view the near-point lunar eclipse on May 5 and want to take pictures of it, be sure not to miss our guide on how to photograph a lunar eclipse.
And if you need some advice on how to photograph the night sky in general, check out our guide on how to photograph the moon and our picks for the best cameras for astrophotography and the best lenses for astrophotography.
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