At exactly 5:15 p.m. EDT on Thursday, November 4, 2021 the Moon will invisibly pass roughly between the Earth and the Sun.
It does this every month yet this time it’s a little different. Not only does its phase this month signal the start of a major Hindu festival—Diwali—but it sees the Moon gradually move into position to cause two spectacular lunar and solar events in the coming weeks.
1. Diwali/Deepavali ‘Festival of Lights’
The Hindi religion’s Diwali/Deepavali takes place tonight and it’s no coincidence there’s a dark, moonless sky for this “Festival of Lights.” A lunar festival celebrating the triumph of light over dark, Diwali/Deepavali is an ancient Hindu festival celebrated in fall in the northern hemisphere or spring in the southern hemisphere.
It’s one of the largest and brightest festivals in India but it’s nevertheless wise to get away from the celebrations’ candles and lights to gaze at the night sky as the day draws to a close because the the South Taurids meteor shower peaks tonight.
2. A full ‘Beaver Moon’ gets partially eclipsed
In two weeks North America, South America and Asia-Pacific will be treated to a spectacular partial lunar eclipse that will see the full “Beaver Moon” turn reddish.
During the event the Earth’s shadow will cover 97% of the Moon so it won’t quite be a total lunar eclipse, but it won’t be far off. Visible to all in the U.S. in the small hours before sunrise on Friday, November 19, 2021, you’ll need the exact timings for your location.
Lunar eclipses can only occur at full Moon, when the Earth is between the Moon and the Sun.
3. A total solar eclipse in Antarctica
The partial “Blood Moon” will be followed on the next New Moon—Saturday, December 4, 2021—with a total solar eclipse.
Visible only to those who make the trip down to Antarctica, this super-remote totality will occur just after sunrise low in the sky above the floating icebergs of the Wedell Sea.
Solar eclipses can only occur at New Moon, when the Moon is between the Earth and the Sun.
How does the Moon create an ‘eclipse season?’
An “eclipse season begins every 173 days when the Moon is lined-up perfectly to intersect the ecliptic, the apparent path of the Sun through our daytime sky and the plane of Earth’s orbit of the Sun.
The Moon’s orbit of Earth is tilted by 5º to the ecliptic, so it must cross the ecliptic twice each month, but that tilt means it usually doesn’t align with the Sun and the Earth.
However, when it does align to cause a solar or lunar eclipse, it’s still precise enough a couple of weeks later to cause the other type of eclipse.
Wishing you clear skies and wide eyes.
