[ad_1]
There are many good reasons to contemplate the moon, but this week will offer an extra special. On the night of July 27, some people will be able to observe the longest lunar eclipse of the 21st century, from one hour and 43 minutes
What is so special about a lunar eclipse?
A lunar eclipse is not the same The show as a solar eclipse: The cast of darkness does not have the same contrast. It results from a spatial arrangement similar to that of the other type of eclipse: the Earth, the Sun and the Moon align perfectly.
In the case of a solar eclipse, the Moon casts a shadow on the Earth. In a lunar eclipse, the roles reverse and the Earth casts a shadow on the moon.
The Earth typically experiences between one and four lunar eclipses per year. A tiny fraction of these takes place in July, when the Earth is as far away from the sun as possible, and therefore capable of projecting the widest shadow onto the moon. Even less lunar eclipses occur when the moon crosses the center of the Earth's shadow, increasing the length of the lunar eclipse
The eclipse of July 27 will last 1 hour and 43 minutes, which is very close to the theoretical maximum of 1 hour and 47 minutes. On January 31 of this year, the moon pbaded south of the center of the Earth's shadow, so the duration of the eclipse was only 1 hour and 2 minutes
Where can I look at the lunar eclipse?
Those in the eastern hemisphere will enjoy the best of the lunar eclipse. Astronomers from Australia, Indonesia and other parts of the East can see the moon go down, while those from Europe, Africa and the United States. West and South America can see it when the moon rises.
The partial eclipse starts at 18:24 UTC (Universal Time), the total eclipse starts at 19:30 UTC, and the largest eclipse will be at 20:22 UTC. You can find the exact time in your time zone by entering your location here.
Finally, you do not need special glbades to observe the lunar eclipse, because you will not expose yourself to the harmful direct radiation of the sun
What about the moon of blood?
The moonlight is nothing but sunlight reflected by the moon. When the Earth casts a shadow on the moon, as during an eclipse, it blocks the direct sunlight. But the moon always has a faint glow, usually an orange-red hue that many call the moon of blood.
It occurs because of a phenomenon called Rayleigh scattering, which also gives its orange-red glow at sunrise and sunset. When sunlight pbades through the earth's atmosphere, it affects different types of gases and particles. The process causes longer wavelengths of light (blue and purple) to diffuse more than shorter wavelengths (red and orange). These are the shortest wavelengths that are able to reach the moon and give it the supernatural glow.
If you were on the moon when the total eclipse occurs, you would see a red ring around the Earth. "Indeed, you will see all the sunrises and sunsets taking place at this precise moment on Earth," according to Time and Date.
Source link
