BLOG: Philadelphia Area To Witness Penumbral Eclipse
By Kate Bilo
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - It's a clear and seasonably cool Friday night, so if you plan to be out and about, you may see an interesting sight in the sky!
Right around 7:50 p.m., a portion of the Earth's shadow will pass in front of the moon, causing an eclipse. This type of eclipse is known as a penumbral eclipse (penumbra from Latin for "next to the shadow"). Unlike a total or even partial eclipse, the moon will still be visible during a penumbral eclipse, but you'll be able to see a faint shadow or smudge on a portion of the lunar surface.
We're some of the lucky ones that will get to glimpse this faint shadow! Because of timing and cloud cover issues, only people along the east coast will catch a glimpse. It will be over very quickly, so set those phone alarms for 7:49 p.m. and glance into the sky - you'll be able to see a faint smudge of black as the earth's shadow passes close to the moon.
