On May 16, 2022 (the night of May 15 in the Western Hemisphere), the Moon enters the Earth’s shadow, creating a total lunar eclipse, the first since May of 2021, according to NASA.
The NASA animation above shows the changing appearance of the Moon as it travels into and out of the Earth’s shadow. The times in the animation can be ignored by those in Switzerland. These are for viewers from a NASA location on the east coast of the US.
Lunar eclipses can be seen from everywhere on the night side of the Earth when the sky is clear. From places with the right timing the entire eclipse will be visible, while in others the moon will rise or set during the eclipse.
Not all of the 16 May 2022 eclipse will be visible in Switzerland given its timing. Viewed from Geneva, the entry of the moon into the Earth’s shadow will start at 4:27am, moving fully into its shadow at 6:11am. Unfortunately, the moon will set slightly before this at 6:03am, 8 minutes ahead of the total eclipse, according to the Astronomical Society of Geneva.
The best viewing places are South America and the east coast of North America. If the sky is clear people there will be able to view the entire show.
Currently, the weather forecast in Geneva and Zurich looks somewhat cloudy.
More on this:
Astronomical Society of Geneva article (in French) – Take a 5 minute French test now
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