Penumbral eclipse dims brilliance of May's Flower Moon

Sky watchers from Saudi Arabia to New Zealand were able to witness Earth's shadow fall over its satellite

The Flower Moon is seen over the top of the Feldberg mountain in the Taunus range near Frankfurt, Germany, on May 6, 2023. AP

The full Flower Moon as seen along 14th in New York City in New York on May 5, 2023. Reuters

The moon is seen behind street lights on May 5, 2023 in Ibiza, Spain. AFP

The Flower Moon rises behind the lighthouse on St Elmo breakwater at the entrance to Grand Harbour, in Valletta, Malta, on May 5, 2023. Reuters

The Flower Moon looms over the Ile Alatau mountains and a monument to Kazakh folk heroes and warriors Suranshi and Sauryk in the village of Uzunagach, Almaty, Kazakhstan, on May 5. Reuters

The Flower Moon rises over Manila, the Philippines, on May 5, 2023. AFP

The full moon before a penumbral lunar eclipse in Hanoi, Vietnam, on May 6, 2023. EPA

The full moon rises over Lisbon, Portugal, on May 5, 2023. AP

The lunar eclipse between residential buildings in Kyiv, Ukraine, on May 5, 2023. EPA

The Flower Moon during a partial lunar eclipse in Srinagar, India, on May 5, 2023. AFP

Stargazers in Asia and Australia had the best seats for the year's first lunar eclipse.

The four-hour eclipse got under way late on Friday or early Saturday, depending on the viewer's location, as the Moon slipped into the fringes of Earth's shadow.

In what is known as a penumbral lunar eclipse, the full moon passed within the outer part of Earth’s shadow, causing the Moon to dim only slightly. Such an eclipse is not as dramatic as a partial lunar eclipse or a total lunar eclipse when the Moon, Earth and Sun are perfectly aligned.

A composite photo shows the different stages of the partial lunar eclipse as seen from the Taiwanese capital Taipei. EPA

The full moon in May is also known as the Flower Moon.

The eclipse was visible from beginning to end, weather permitting, as far west as Saudi Arabia and Africa’s western coast, as far east as Japan and New Zealand’s South Island, and from the South Pole to Siberia. Almost all of Europe also got in on some of the action.

The Virtual Telescope Project showed a livestream of the moon rising over the countryside in Tuscany, Italy.

“Even subtle astronomical events like this one make me excited and happy to share them,” astrophysicist Gianluca Masi, the project's founder, said in an email.

The next lunar eclipse in October will put on a better display.

Asia, Africa and Europe will be to see the partial lunar eclipse, when some but not all of the Moon passes through the Earth’s dark, central shadow, while the eastern portions of both Americas will get to see at least part of the show.

The next total lunar eclipse will not occur until 2025, with North America and the western half of South America in front-row seats.