When will we be able to see new lunar eclipses like that of July 27?

On the evening of July 27, there was the longest total lunar eclipse of the 21st century. Added to this was the planet Mars which shone with rare intensity, since it had never been so close to Earth for 15 years. A rare and beautiful show … spoiled everywhere in France by the clouds! Some lucky few have been able to see it between two nebulosities. But if you are not part of it, do not panic, you will have the opportunity to see other phenomena as beautiful in the future … not so far away.

January 21, 2019: total lunar eclipse

The impatient have something to celebrate: the next total eclipse of the Moon will take place in just 5 months! It will last 5 hours and 11 minutes, a little shorter than that of July 27, 2018 which could be observed for 6 hours and 13 minutes. But it will remain a little more than an hour in phase of "totality", the period during which it pbades entirely in the shadow of the Earth and can thus be stained of a brick color. On the other hand, it is difficult to anticipate with precision the aspect and the coloring that it will take, characteristics which depend on phenomena impossible to predict so long in advance.

To admire the phenomenon, it will be necessary to arm with a little courage, because the red moon belongs to those who get up early … The whole phase will begin at 5:41 am (Paris time) to finish at 6:43. It will be totally out of the shadows at 7:50 and then in the dark at 8:48, so it will be possible to enjoy one end of the event without falling off the bed.

October 13, 2020: Mars opposition

Mars and Earth do not rotate at the same speed around the Sun, the distance between them varies constantly. But every two years or so, the two planets are side by side: it's the opposition. In addition to that, the orbits of our blue planet and our neighbor red are not perfectly round, the distance that separates them with each opposition can therefore vary from simple to double. For this reason, we were talking about super opposition on July 27, 2018, because Mars was "only" 58 million kilometers from the Earth. Such a rapprochement had not taken place since the opposition of 2003 – considered as "the opposition of the century" – and it will be a while before a similar one.

But the next opposition promises all the same, a beautiful show! On October 13, 2020, Mars will be only 63 million kilometers, and should therefore shine with an intensity similar to the opposition of July 2018.

March 13, 2044: total lunar eclipse and opposition of Mars (almost) synchronized

It will be necessary to be patient to once again enjoy a total eclipse of the Moon and an opposition of Mars! And to tell the truth, both events will not be exactly synchronized. Our natural satellite reach the maximum of its phase of totality at 20:40, Paris time, March 13th. The red planet will have reached the opposition two days before, March 11, but the distance traveled between these two days are negligible: Mars will be 100 million kilometers from the Earth, and shine intensely at the time of the eclipse total lunar!
On your diaries to avoid missing this new opportunity … if the clouds want it.