The first lunar eclipse of the decade will be visible from South Africa. In fact, on 10 January 2020, ‘only those on the night-side of Earth at 5:07 p.m. Universal Time—in Europe, Africa, Asia and Australia—will see the show,’ according to Forbes.
The first full moon of January is referred to as a wolf moon and the eclipse will be a penumbral lunar eclipse, which is more subtle than either a total or partial eclipse of the moon.
Penumbral lunar eclipse 2009.
The sun’s light won’t be completely obscured by the earth but a soft diffused shadow will fall across its face. As a result, the full moon will lose its brightness for a few hours.
According to timeanddate.com, a penumbral lunar eclipse ‘can be a bit hard to see as the shadowed part is only a little bit fainter than the rest of the moon.’
Unlike a solar eclipse, it is completely safe to view a lunar eclipse with the naked eye.
Image: NavneethC/ Flickr
