Lunar eclipse time in UK 2020: Here are the July lunar eclipse timings in the country

Lunar Eclipse is one of the most marvellous celestial events one can witness. It is widely known that lunar eclipses occur when the earth’s shadow blocks the sun’s light, which otherwise should reflect on the moon. Here is the Lunar Eclipse time in UK and other details for the British astronomy lovers.

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Lunar Eclipse Time in UK

The next penumbral lunar eclipse will occur on Sunday, July 5, 2020. But, the wait for the next total eclipse is going to be longer, as it will occur on May 16, 2022. The lunar eclipse time in UK is 4:07 AM BST to 4:45 AM BST. The duration of the lunar eclipse in UK will be 38 minutes. 

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In addition to this, the Moon will appear full for about three days around the eclipse. From Friday, July 4 in the evening to Monday, July 6 till the morning, making this a Full Moon weekend. Here is what will happen during the lunar eclipse time in UK.

• 4:07 AM BST: Penumbral Lunar Eclipse begins: Earth’s penumbra begins touching the full moon’s face. The full moon is going to be very close to the horizon. Hence, skywatchers in the UK must make sure they have free sight to the Southwest.
• 4:41 AM BST: This is the point when the lunar eclipse in UK will reach its greatest magnitude.  The entire Moon will be above the horizon in London. Sadly, the real maximum point of this eclipse will be seen in London because the Moon will be below the horizon at the time. As the Moon will be near the horizon at this time, the British Astronomy enthusiasts can go to a high point and try to find an unobstructed area with free sight to the Southwest for the best view of the lunar eclipse in UK.
• 4:45 AM BST: This will be the time of Moonset. The combination of a really low moon and the total eclipse phase will make the Moon so dim before it sets, that it might disappear from the view of the watcher sometime before it sets.
• 5:29 AM BST: This will be the point of Maximum Lunar Eclipse in UK, but as the moon will already be below the horizon, it will not be visible.
• 6:52 AM BST: This will be the actual end of the penumbral eclipse, it won’t be visible to the watchers.

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Lunar Eclipse July 2020 

The Lunar Eclipse of July 2020 is a Penumbral one. A penumbral lunar eclipse sees the least coverage of the surface of the moon by the earth, as compared to the total and partial eclipse. It occurs when the full moon travels only through the outer, fainter part of the Earth's shadow, or it's 'penumbra' so to speak. 

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This happens when the Earth moves between the Sun and the Moon, although the three do not align perfectly straight line. The penumbra creates only a slight darkening of the Moon's surface, while the Moon still exposed to some direct sunlight. Hence, the penumbra is easy to miss.