Lunar eclipse before dawn Friday

In this photo taken by Kenji Tabata and distributed by Japan’s Kyodo News service, the moon turns red during a total lunar eclipse as seen from Naha, on the Japanese island of Okinawa, early Thursday, June 16, 2011. The total lunar eclipse was also visible in most parts of Asia. AP FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—Very early risers will be able to see a slightly reddish moon before dawn Friday due to a partial lunar eclipse lasting less than 30 minutes, the state weather bureau said.

If the sky is clear, the partial lunar eclipse, in which the moon will appear reddish from being partly in the Earth’s shadow, will be visible in the Philippines from 3:54 a.m. to 4:21 a.m., the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration said.

Pagasa astronomy section chief Dario Dela Cruz said keen observers would be able to see a darkening of the moon with a red hue during the “umbral” part of the eclipse, referring to the innermost and darkest portion of the shadow.

But it will not be as obvious as in the “penumbral” part, involving the outer shadow of the moon, in which only a light shadow will be cast on the moon, he said.

The eclipse has four major phases: the penumbral eclipse beginning at 2:03 a.m., the partial eclipse beginning at 3:54 a.m., the partial eclipse ending at 4:21 a.m., and the penumbral eclipse ending at 6:11 a.m., Pagasa said.

“Lunar eclipses are safe to watch, hence, observers need not use any kind of protective filters for the eyes,” Pagasa said in its monthly astronomical diary prepared by Pagasa officer-in-charge Vicente Malano.

The agency advised stargazers to use binoculars to help magnify the view and to make the red coloration of the Moon appear brighter.

Based on the astronomical diary, the eclipse will have a magnitude or brightness of 1.47 percent and will also be visible primarily in Australia, most of Asia, Africa, Europe and Antarctica.

In Manila, the moon will have risen at 5:43 p.m. on April 25 and will have set at 5:40 a.m. Friday.