Can total lunar eclipse and partial lunar eclipse happen at the same time?

In summary: However, this cannot be the same moon at the same time in both parts of the illustration, because the moon is not allowed to be in two places at the same time.So, in summary, a total lunar eclipse occurs when the Moon is fully immersed in the Earth's umbra, while a partial lunar eclipse occurs when part of the Moon is still in the Earth's penumbra. They cannot occur at the same time. To get to a full lunar eclipse, the Moon has to pass through the penumbra and there will always be a partial eclipse prior to and after a full lunar eclipse. However, a partial eclipse does not necessarily imply that there will be a total eclipse as the Moon could just pass the penumbra
  • #1
Jimin Lee
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Can total lunar eclipse and partial lunar eclipse be happened at the same time?
So, do we call it partial lunar eclipse when the total lunar eclipse happen just before?
 
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  • #2
A total lunar eclipse occurs when the Moon is fully immersed in the Earth's umbra. In a partial lunar eclipse, part of the Moon is still in the Earth's penumbra. So no, they do not occur at the same time. In order to get to a full lunar eclipse the Moon has to pass through the penumbra and therefore there will always be a partial eclipse prior to and after a full lunar eclipse. However, a partial eclipse does not necessarily imply that there will be a total eclipse as the Moon could just pass the penumbra without ever entering the umbra.
 
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  • #3
Orodruin said:
A total lunar eclipse occurs when the Moon is fully immersed in the Earth's umbra. In a partial lunar eclipse, part of the Moon is still in the Earth's penumbra. So no, they do not occur at the same time. In order to get to a full lunar eclipse the Moon has to pass through the penumbra and therefore there will always be a partial eclipse prior to and after a full lunar eclipse. However, a partial eclipse does not necessarily imply that there will be a total eclipse as the Moon could just pass the penumbra without ever entering the umbra.
Then, is this picture wrong?
the part of '부분 월식' means 'partial lunar eclipse',
and '개기 월식' means 'total lunar eclipse',
as you said that these 2 things cannot happen at the same time
 

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  • #4
Why would it be wrong? The Moon cannot be at two places at the same time.
 
  • #5
Orodruin said:
Why would it be wrong? The Moon cannot be at two places at the same time.
I think that picture wants to show the route of total lunar eclipse.
 
  • #6
Jimin Lee said:
I think that picture wants to show the route of total lunar eclipse.
Yes, and as I said, you need to go via a partial eclipse to get to the total eclipse. However, a partial eclipse can occur without ever reaching a total eclipse.
 
  • #7
For purposes of recording or reporting or predicting a celestial event, the definitions of total and partial lunar eclipse are mutually exclusive. By such definition, a partial eclipse is never total, and by terms of experiential reference, a total eclipse can be seen to manifest first as partial, then as total, then back to partial, and only in some locations at one time, in others at other times, and in still others not at all. By celestial definition, a partial eclipse is one that is never total anywhere on Earth. Neither by celestial nor by experiential definitions can a lunar eclipse be both total and partial in the same place at the same time. A good basic exposition regarding lunar eclipses can be found here: https://www.space.com/15689-lunar-eclipses.html
 
  • #8
Jimin Lee said:
Then, is this picture wrong?
the part of '부분 월식' means 'partial lunar eclipse',
and '개기 월식' means 'total lunar eclipse',
as you said that these 2 things cannot happen at the same time

(to reference a more ready presentation of your image, I opened it, right-clicked and selected copy image address, then wrapped the address (by pasting) inside [img ] [/img ] (without spaces) tags)

020d4ed5-b6cb-40eb-9431-eeb9d5aa020b-jpeg.jpg


The illustration is correct (though obviously not to scale), but it doesn't show, or purport to show, partial and total eclipse in the same place at the same time. It can be seen that the labeled indicators reference different parts of the illustration, and those different parts mean either different places at one time, or the same moon in different places at different times, not the moon in both partial and total eclipse in the same place at the same time.

In the illustration, the Sun and the Earth are in a fixed position (relatively), and the moon is illustrated by multiple images, i.e. by the 3 smaller circles along an arc at the right. One of the moon images is in the penumbra shown in the lower part of the illustration, one is in the umbra, shown in the middle part, and one is emerging into the penumbra shown in the upper part.

The reason for there being more than one moon circle is that more than one lunar time and place is being shown. The illustration shows the progression of the moon from penumbra, i.e. partial eclipse, through umbra, i.e. total eclipse, and following that another penumbra, i.e. another partial eclipse.
 

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Related to Can total lunar eclipse and partial lunar eclipse happen at the same time?

1. Can a total lunar eclipse and partial lunar eclipse occur at the same time?

Yes, it is possible for a total lunar eclipse and partial lunar eclipse to happen simultaneously. This occurs when the Earth's shadow partially covers the Moon, resulting in a partial lunar eclipse, while the rest of the Moon is completely covered by the Earth's shadow, resulting in a total lunar eclipse.

2. How often do total and partial lunar eclipses occur at the same time?

This phenomenon is relatively rare and can occur once every few years. The last time a total and partial lunar eclipse occurred at the same time was in July 2019.

3. Can you see both a total and partial lunar eclipse from the same location?

Unfortunately, it is not possible to observe both a total and partial lunar eclipse from the same location. The different types of eclipses occur at different times and from different perspectives, so they cannot be seen simultaneously.

4. Is a total lunar eclipse more common than a partial lunar eclipse?

No, a total lunar eclipse is not more common than a partial lunar eclipse. In fact, partial lunar eclipses occur more frequently than total lunar eclipses.

5. How long does a total and partial lunar eclipse last?

The duration of a total and partial lunar eclipse can vary, but on average, a total lunar eclipse can last up to 3 hours, while a partial lunar eclipse can last up to 2 hours.

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