The next performance of light and shadow by the Earth-Moon-Sun trio takes place Friday evening when the Earth passes between the Sun and Moon creating a "penumbral lunar eclipse," which will be visible over Bowie, weather permitting.



In a penumbral lunar eclipse, the moon falls under the dim edge, or penumbra, of the Earth's shadow, instead of the main part of the shadow called the umbra. As a result, the moon's face grows a bit dimmer instead of showing a clearly defined disc moving across it as can be seen in a regular lunar eclipse.