Hi, I'm Sonia,I have been into astronomy since 1997 when I was 11 years old when comet Hale Bopp was around. I remember being in the back garden with my dad and he was showing me how to take a photo of it with his old Fujica camera, that I still have now.
Ever since then I've been fascinated with space. I started with a very cheap Tasco telescope from Argos to look at the moon, went onto a Meade goto etx 90 telescope, which unfortunately due to age stopped working.
For a very long time and currently using a skywatcher 10" Dobsonian, to mostly photograph the moon and also the planets with a moon filter. Seestar S50 which has now got me into deep sky imaging which I love! And lastly a Coronado PST for solar imaging.
I have two BscHons open degrees in Introducing Astronomy and the planets.
Elected in 2023 to become a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society, Vice President for the Manchester Astronomical Society.
Currently a freelancer for the BBC sky at night magazine.
Clear Skies
Sonia
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MARCH 2025
March sees the month of a lunar eclipse and a solar eclipse. But before I go into details of the times and dates, let’s take a look at how they both happen!
Both lunar and solar eclipses are fascinating celestial events where the Eart, Moon and the sun align in specific ways. However, they are distinct phenomena with different causes and visual effects.Lunar eclipse:So, a lunar eclipse occurs when the Earth comes between the sun and the moon, causing Earth’s shadow to fall on the moon.
A lunar eclipse though can only occur when the moon is full and when the Sun, Earth and moon align in a straight line.There are three types of lunar eclipses:Total Lunar Eclipse –The entire moon passes through the Earth’s umbra (This is the darkest part of it’s shadow) causing the moon to take on a reddish tint, which can also be known as a blood moon.Partial Lunar Eclipse – Only part of the moon will pass through the umbra, so only a portion of the moon will appear darker. Penumbral Lunar Eclipse – The moon passes through the Earth’s penumbral shadow, and only a small part of the moon will darken.
A lunar eclipse is visible from anywhere, as long as it is on the nighttime side of Earth, and because
the Earth shadow is large, the eclipse can last for a few hours.
A solar eclipse occurs when the moon passes between the sun and the Earth, blocking all or part of the sun’s light. This can only occur during a new moon.There are also three types of Solar Eclipses:Total Solar Eclipse:The moon completely covers the sun, casting a shadow on Earth. During a total solar eclipse, the day turns to night for a brief moment . The birds stop singing, the atmosphere feels rather strange and the temperature starts to drop. The sun’s corona (the outer atmosphere) becomes visible.Partial solar eclipse – The moon only partially covers the sun, so only part of the sun is obscured from view.Annular solar eclipse –The moon is farther from the Earth and appears smaller than the sun leaving a ring-like effect.
Solar eclipses are visible from certain areas on the Earth (and look spectacular from space) Both lunar and solar eclipses are awe inspiring events.A total lunar eclipse will be visible in the UK on the 14th March 2025, including North and South America, Europe, Africa, along with parts of the Asia and Australia.For us in the UK, we will only get to see the first part of the eclipse and you may have to be high above the horizon as the moon starts to set.
When the maximum eclipse starts the moon will be below the horizon.You can find the times for your location from: https://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/lunar/2025-march-14For optimal viewing it is best to find a dark sky location, but your back garden is just as good as long as it’s not cloudy or rainy!You can observe lunar eclipses safely with the naked eye, if you have binoculars or a telescope this can enhance the experience for you.A partial solar eclipse will occur on the 29th March in the UK, Europe, North in Asia, North/West Africa, Much of North America,
North in South America, Atlantic and Arctic.The moon will begin to cover the sun’s disc around 10AM GMT, and reaching maximum coverage around an hour later. Around 40% of the sun will be obscured by the moon during this time.For times on your location for the eclipse go to: https://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/solar/2025-march-29Make sure to safely view the eclipse, it is essential to use proper eye protection, such as eclipse glasses (not normal sunglasses!), solar viewer or a solar telescope if you have one. You can also use specific film to put over your telescope to safely view. Looking directly at the sun without appropriate protection can cause serious eye damage.
