The first eclipse of 2020 is coming: it's scheduled for January 10th, will be visible from Italy, and will feature the Moon, which will appear to be covered by a veil that will dim its light. It will be a penumbral eclipse, which occurs when the Moon passes through the outermost part of the Earth's shadow. It's a less spectacular phenomenon than the red moon, the total eclipse that occurs when the Moon enters Earth's shadow, but it's still impressive because "we'll see a decrease in our satellite's brightness," explains Paolo Volpini of the Italian Amateur Astronomers Union (UAI). The Moon will therefore appear slightly darker and more opaque, but not symmetrically, he adds, "because the Moon will appear darker near Earth's shadow." The astronomical phenomenon, visible from Europe, Asia, and Africa, will last approximately four hours: it will begin at 6:07 PM, peak at 8:10 PM, and end at 10:10 PM. "Since the full Moon will rise almost simultaneously with the setting of the Sun," Volpini notes, "those who wish can dedicate the entire evening to observation: shortly before 5:00 PM, the Sun will set in the West, while on the opposite side of the horizon, in the East, the Moon will rise. At that moment, it will be a normal full Moon. A little over an hour after its rise, we will see the eclipse begin."i of twilight”.
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