The longest lunar eclipse of the century will be visible Friday, July 27

In all, it will last 2h50. The longest lunar total eclipse of the century must occur on Friday, July 27, in the evening, when the Earth will pbad between the Sun and our satellite. The Earth will begin to shade the moon from 9:29 pm, Friday until 00:19, Paris time. The total eclipse will last 1h43 with a peak around 22h20. When the Moon appears in the sky, the phenomenon has already begun, giving the satellite a red hue.

"We will be a few minutes below the theoretical maximum" explains Jean-Luc Dauvergne, head of heading of Sky & Space in France 3 Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes. How to explain this duration? The further away the Moon is from the Earth, the longer the eclipse, the longer the distance it takes for the satellite to cross the shadows of the Earth. The longest known lunar eclipse in history lasted 1 hour 47 minutes and 14 seconds, 1,700 years ago, on May 31, 318.

Unlike a solar eclipse, the lunar eclipse is observable to the naked eye, without danger, since it is not a question of looking directly at the Sun. This long lunar eclipse will be visible everywhere in metropolitan France, if the sky is clear. The inhabitants of the East of France will be privileged, especially those who will be in Corsica and on the Côte-d'Azur.

Another element will make this eclipse even more exceptional. "E It will coincide with the maximum approximation of the planet Mars: the red planet, dazzling rubies, will shine, much brighter than the Moon, right next to it" specifies Science and Life .