lunar eclipse July 2018: "Moon of blood" coincides with the approach of Mars closest to the Earth in 15 years

The longest "blood moon" eclipse of this century will coincide with March "closest approach to Earth in 15 years to offer skygazers an astronomical double throbbing Friday, say astronomers. For about half of the world, the moon will be partially or totally in the Earth's shadow from 1:14 pm to 7:28 pm ET – six hours and 14 minutes in all

The complete eclipse period – called "totality", when the moon appears the darkest – will last from 15:30 to 17:13 ET. "The Totality will last 103 minutes, making it the longest eclipse of the 21st century!" said the Royal Astronomical Society in London

At the same time, Mars will hover near the moon in the night sky, easily visible to the naked eye.Our neighboring planet will appear unusually large and bright, at 35.9 million miles from Earth on its elliptical orbit around the sun [1965] 9002] "We have a conjunction of phenomena rare and interesting," Pascal Descamps, astronomer at the Paris Observatory, told AFP. "We should have a copper-red hue on the moon with Mars's" Red Planet "just next, very bright and with a slight orange hue itself."

Southern Hemisphere amateur astronomers will be best positioned to enjoy the show, especially those from southern Africa, Australia, India and Madagascar. It will also be partially visible in Europe and South America

What is a total lunar eclipse?

A total lunar eclipse occurs when the Earth takes a position in a straight line between the moon and the sun. This clears the direct sunlight that normally makes our satellite blue-yellow.

The moon moves to a similar position every month, but the tilt of its orbit means that it normally goes above or below the Earth's shadow. Most months, we have a full moon without eclipse.

When the three celestial bodies are perfectly aligned, the Earth's atmosphere diffuses blue light from the sun while refracting or bending the red light on the moon. It usually gives the moon a pinkish redness.

This is what gives the phenomenon the name of "blood moon". Mark Bailey of the Armagh Observatory in Northern Ireland said the color can vary widely.

It depends in part on the transparency or transparency of the parts of the atmosphere that allow sunlight to reach the moon. "During a very dark eclipse, the moon can be almost invisible.

"Darker eclipses can show the moon in gray or dark brown … in rust, in brick red or, if it is very bright, in red or orange copper. "

The long duration of this eclipse is partly due to the fact that the moon will make a pbad near the center of the Earth's shadow, it is the darkest and most central part of the shadow

will not appear to be of the same size

Our constant companion will also be at the farthest point of its orbit from the Earth, making its movement across the sky slower from our point of view , thus spending more time in the dark, called social media hoaxes claiming that Mars will appear as big as the moon during the eclipse.

"If this were true, we would be in big trouble considering the gravitational effects on Earth, Mars and our moon! "According to the NASA website, Mars will likely appear as a very bright star, and viewers will not need any eye protection equipment. [19659002] "All you have to do is you h abilage warmly and go out, "advises the Royal Astronomical Society. "If you want a close-up view of the moon when it turns red, a pair of binoculars is useful."

"All eclipses are spectacular," added Robert Mbadey of the company. "In the midst of a lunar eclipse, it may seem like a red planet has taken up residence near the Earth – they are both mysterious and beautiful and I will certainly take care of it!"