The world is watching the longest lunar eclipse of the 21st century

The longest total lunar eclipse of the 21st century began to make our satellite blush on Friday, while Mars, almost as close to the Earth, was full of brilliance: a conjunction of phenomena that delighted amateur astronomers

The eclipse, which corresponds to the moment when the Moon plunges into the shadow of the Earth, is visible, partially or totally, in one half of the world (notably the eastern hemisphere). It can be observed from Africa, Europe, Asia, Australia.

The complete phenomenon (including darkness, imperceptible to the naked eye) began at 17:14 GMT (19:14 Paris time) and will end at 23:28 GMT (01:28 Paris time)

The real show started at 18H24 GMT (20:24 French time). The most interesting moment of the eclipse, when the Moon was completely in the shadow cone projected by the Earth, took place at 19:30 GMT (21:30 French time) and will end at 21:13 GMT (23:13 French time). 19659002] This so-called "totality" phase lasted 1 hour 43 minutes (103 minutes), the longest lunar eclipse of the 21st century.

– "Historical" in Kenya –

"It's so interesting to see how the moon is red, as if it were covered with blood, "exclaimed Marion Rotich, mother, while she was observing the phenomenon with her two daughters in Naivasha, in the south of Kenya.

Hesborn Mwangi, driver of Matatu (minibus), was equally enthusiastic: "It's historic for me, I never found time to look at something like that, but today I found myself while I was laying pbadengers. "

Near Lake Magadi, isolated region away from light pollution cities 100 km southwest of Nairobi , a couple, Susan Murabana and Daniel Chu Owen had installed his telescope so that the inhabitants of the neighborhood could admire the eclipse.

"Mars, Pluto, Saturn, Jupiter, Venus, Mercury: that's what I would really like see, "said Daniel Chu Owen, 39, trying to spot the I have already done this on the occasion of the solar eclipse in 2016, "says Susan Murabana, who is the same age as her husband. Some 300 members of the local community, mostly Masai, had come to use their telescopes. "It's good to give such an opportunity to people like this."

At the same time in Tunis, more than 2,000 people gathered at the Capital City of Science to admire the eclipse.

Amazed by the color change of the satellite, men, women and especially children with binoculars waited their turn to look at the moon through the telescopes. Others filmed, portable by hand.

"I hope this eclipse will bring us happiness and tranquility", hoped Karima, 46, binoculars in hand.

– Disappointment and clouds –

The people of Dorset County, in southwestern England, were disappointed by the thick clouds that disrupted the show, as in much of Europe.

In a small seaside resort in West Bay, observers had found themselves on beaches and cliffs, hoping for a clearing of the sky, without success.

"It's disappointing," admitted 67-year-old Tish Adams. "I took some pictures but there was nothing but a little pink trail in the sky, it would have been so good to see her."

For a lunar eclipse to occur, there must be an almost perfect alignment of the Sun, the Earth, and the Moon. Our planet, lying between our star and the Moon, then projects its shadow on its natural satellite.

The moon, full, returns gradually in the darkness, then in the shade to be totally in the shade , before coming out gradually.

This phase called "totality" was 1 hour 43 minutes (103 minutes), the longest lunar eclipse of the 21st century.

This is the second eclipse Moon total 2018, the first one taking place on January 31.

The other star of the night was Mars, which is only 57.6 million kilometers from the Earth. With the naked eye, we can see a bright spot while with a telescope or a telescope, it is possible to observe it in details.