Bad weather expected to block view of lunar eclipse

MANILA, Philippines—Cloudy skies and rain and thunderstorms threaten to spoil a spectacular total lunar eclipse that unfolds at around 7:30 p.m. Saturday. The moon will be completely blacked out for 51 minutes starting at 10 p.m.

“If you have this kind of weather, viewing is impossible,’’ said Dario dela Cruz, chief of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration’s  space sciences and astronomy section. “The chance is slim that we can view it.’’

After the June 16 total lunar eclipse, Filipinos would have had another crack at observing such a spectacle Saturday night from any part of the archipelago without the need for special instruments.

Pagasa’s weather outlook for the weekend, however, doesn’t make it conducive for an unobstructed viewing of the 51-minute total eclipse.

According to Pagasa, cloudy skies with scattered rain showers and thunderstorms will prevail over Central Luzon, including Metro Manila, Southern Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao, becoming cloudy with widespread rains in Palawan and Eastern Visayas. The rest of Luzon will be partly cloudy with isolated rain showers and thunderstorms.

Stargazers and sky watchers can just hope for a timely break in clouds to get a glimpse of the eclipse.

Total lunar eclipse occurs when the moon is completely immersed in the umbra of the Earth’s shadow.

The eclipse begins at 7:33 p.m. Saturday Philippine Standard Time and ends 1:30 a.m. Sunday. As the moon starts to darken, partial eclipse begins at around 8:45 p.m., according to Pagasa.

The total eclipse begins at 10:06 p.m. and ends at 10:57 p.m. and the greatest eclipse, when the moon is darkest, takes place at around 10:31 p.m.

Under normal circumstances, when the sky is clear, this would be visible to the naked eye. Lunar eclipses are safe to watch, and observers don’t need protective filters for the eyes. A pair of binoculars, however, could magnify the view, Pagasa said.

“It’s nice to watch it because it rarely happens. With this weather, we will have a problem viewing it. Let’s just hope there will be a break in the cloudiness,’’ Dela Cruz said by phone.