
Skywatchers taking in the full moon this month got to witness the first lunar eclipse of 2023.
A penumbral lunar eclipse of the full Flower Moon took place on May 5, 2023 and was visible for much of the Eastern Hemisphere and Antarctica. This type of lunar eclipse occurs when the moon enters the outermost part of Earth's shadow, known as the penumbra. While these eclipses aren't nearly as dramatic as a total or partial lunar eclipse, they nonetheless offer skywatchers the chance to visualize the astronomical alignment of the sun, Earth and the moon in real time.