Partial lunar eclipse visible on April 26

MANILA, Philippines - A partial lunar eclipse will occur on April 26, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said yesterday. 

“The umbral eclipse magnitude will be 1.47 percent and will be visible primarily in Australia, most of Asia, Africa, Europe and Antarctica,” PAGASA said.

PAGASA said a lunar eclipse is safe to watch, and observers need not use any kind of protective filters for the eyes.

 â€œA pair of binocular will help magnify the view and will make the red coloration of the Moon brighter,” PAGASA said.

The eclipse will begin at 2:03 a.m. and end at 6:11 a.m.

Pagasa said the major phases of the eclipse are penumbral eclipse, which begins at 2:03 a.m.; partial eclipse at 3:54 a.m. and ends at 4:21 a.m.; and penumbral eclipse, which ends at 6:11 a.m.

 The penumbra, a Latin word meaning “almost-shadow,” is the portion of a shadow that results from the source of illumination being only partially blocked. 

The umbra, Latin for “shadow,” is the darkest part of a shadow. From within the umbra, the source of light is completely blocked by the object causing the shadow.