Partial Lunar Eclipse: Moon’s Tribute 50 Years After Historic Apollo 11 Launch

The UK and most of the world was treated to a partial lunar eclipse on Tuesday night, the last one until November 2021.

Clear skies across most of the UK allowed the cosmic spectacle to be seen from around 9.07pm until 1.17am this morning.

A partial lunar eclipse is visible above London from Primrose Hill, on the 50th anniversary of Apollo 11 launching on its moon mission
This is the partial lunar eclipse over central London seen from Primrose Hill

Among the other parts of the world to see it were Australia, New Zealand, Africa and much of Asia. It missed most of North America, however.

A lunar eclipse is when the moon passes directly behind the earth and into its shadow, darkened but still visible.

It can only happen during a full moon and when the sun, earth and moon are exactly or very closely aligned.

A partial lunar eclipse is visible above Tynemouth Priory, on the 50th anniversary of Apollo 11 launching on its moon mission
This was the scene at Tynemouth Priory in England’s North East
The moon is seen during a lunar eclipse in the sky Jakarta, on July 17, 2019
The partial lunar eclipse was also seen across the world, including here in Indonesia

The event came on the same day that the world marked five decades since Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins blasted into space for what would become the first moon landing.

It was not until 21 July that the team actually reached the moon, however.

The mission was a huge moment for humanity and pictures were beamed around the world as Armstrong said those now famous words: “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind”.

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Author: Sharon Marris

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