Lunar eclipse on Dec. 10

MANILA, Philippines - A total lunar eclipse and meteor shower will be seen this month, the weather bureau said yesterday.

In its monthly astronomical diary, the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said a total lunar eclipse will occur on Dec. 10 and be visible in the country. The eclipse will begin at 7:33 p.m. and end at 1:30 a.m. the following day.

In Manila, the moon will rise at 5:13 p.m. on Dec. 10 and set at 5:38 a.m. the following day. 

The major phases of the eclipse are as follows: penumbral eclipse begins at 7:33 p.m.; partial eclipse starts at 8:45 p.m.; greatest eclipse (total eclipse) happens at 10:31 p.m.; partial eclipse ends at 12:17 a.m. on Dec. 11 and the penumbral eclipse concludes at 1:30 a.m. on Dec. 11.

PAGASA said the eclipse will also be visible in North America except for the eastern section, Hawaii Island, Oceania, Australasia, some parts of Asia, eastern Africa and Eastern Europe.

A lunar eclipse takes place when the Earth is between the Sun and the Moon so that the shadow of the Earth falls on the Moon.

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

From Dec. 14 to 15, on the other hand, the Geminids meteor shower will reach its peak.

“Under a dark and cloudless sky just after midnight of its peak activity, meteors or ‘falling stars’ can be seen at an average rate of forty meteors per hour,” the diary entry said. 

“However, a waning gibbous moon will be in the sky on the nights of this shower which will interfere with the show. The shower will appear to radiate from the constellation of Gemini, the Twin,” PAGASA said.

Also, on Dec. 22, the winter solstice will begin. Nights then will be longer than daytime. 

“The Sun will reach the Winter Solstice on December 22 at 1:38 PM (PST). This marks the time when the Sun lies at its farthest point south of the equator. It signals the onset of winter in the Northern Hemisphere and summer in the Southern Hemisphere,” PAGASA said.