The Red Planet and the "Blood Moon", a heavenly spectacle



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An unusual celestial conjunction will dazzle astronomy enthusiasts on Friday: the longest total solar eclipse of the 21st century will turn our satellite into red while Mars, almost at its closest point to the Earth, will shine with all its glory. splendor.

The show can be observed with the naked eye, without need of protection as it happens with solar eclipses.

"The only thing they have to do is leave," he animated the fans of the Royal Astronomical Society of London

The Eclipse, which corresponds to the moment when the Moon is submerged in the # 39, shadow of the Earth, can be seen totally or partially in half of the world: Africa, Europe, Asia and Australia. But it is in the east and south of Africa, the Middle East and India that the show will be best appreciated.

In all the countries concerned, activities will be organized to observe the phenomenon. from the capital, enjoy the show next to a lake in the large park of Pradolongo, south of the city, at an event enlivened by the performance of the Spanish electronic music artist Pional .

Unusual and interesting

"We have an unusual and interesting conjunction of phenomena: the moon should be dyed red, a little coppery, and Mars, called" red planet ", will be next, very bright , with a slightly orange hue, "says Pascal Descamps, astronomer at the Observatoire Paris-PSL, 19659003] For an eclipse of the Moon to take place, an almost perfect alignment between the Sun, the Earth and the Moon is necessary, so when our planet is between the star and the satellite, it casts its shadow on the moon that darkens it.

The full moon gradually enters the darkness and then into the darkness. the shadow to be completely in the dark before gradually leaving said area

The most interesting moment of the eclipse, when the Moon is completely in the projected shadow cone by the Earth.

This phase, called phas e "totality", will last for nearly one hour and three quarters (103 minutes), which will constitute the longest lunar eclipse of the twenty-first century

Serious Problem

It s & # 39 is the second total solar eclipse of 2018. The first took place on January 31st.

] Deprived of the sun's rays, the Moon will not only darken but will take on a brick tint: the Earth's atmosphere diverts the red rays of light from the Sun into the shadow cone , which are reflected in the surface. It is possible that the brightness of the moon is obscured because "it will pbad through the center of the Earth's shadow, where the light is less refracted," warns Olivier Sanguy of the City of Lune. 39; space. Toulouse, in the south of France

The other protagonist of the night will be the planet Mars, which will be 57.6 million kilometers from Earth. We will have to wait until 2035 to see the "red planet" so close to us.

At first glance, you can see a bright spot in the space but with a telescope, it will be possible to appreciate the details.

The Sky Observation "If that were true, we would have a serious problem given the gravitational force between the Earth, Mars and the Moon," he jokes. NASA on its website.

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