The beginning of the astronomical autumn is marked by a total lunar eclipse that will take place next Wednesday, October 8. In the eclipse, the Earth, illuminated by the Sun, will create a long shadow that will completely cover our satellite.
The phenomenon will be visible over the countries of Russia, eastern China, Japan, Australia, the Pacific and North America . In South America it will only be visible for some specific areas such as San Andrés and Providencia (Colombia) where the eclipse will be perceived but in a very weak way due to the low altitude of the Moon; even so, its maximum will occur at 05:55 (UTC-5); or in Chile, specifically from Easter Island , where the maximum of the eclipse will occur at the same time as in Colombia but with the exception that the Moon will be at an altitude of 24 °. In Spain it will not be visible at any time.
This next lunar eclipse will also coincide with a meteor shower (Draconids), whose peak will occur on both October 7 and 8. This meteor shower receives this name because its radiant point almost coincides with the head of the constellation Draco , the Dragon, which is located in the northern hemisphere.
For those who cannot see the eclipse , at this time of year Jupiter begins to be visible in the morning sky and will be joined by Saturn in late fall. In the same way, at the beginning of the night you will see Mars and, until mid-autumn, the planet Saturn. If we want to see constellations, they will be visible, among others, that of the Swan, Cassiopeia, Ursa Minor and Giraffe, which are around the Pole Star.
