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Paris: The longest lunar eclipse of this century has dazzled skygazers around the world, coinciding with the closest approach to Mars in 15 years in an exciting celestial spectacle
crowds gathered around the world Friday to have a glimpse of the rare phenomenon.
Next to Lake Magadi, 100 kilometers southwest of Nairobi, the Kenyan capital, young members of the Maasai community watched the eclipse through a high-powered telescope provided by a local couple.
Friday, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, people watch a blood moon (Photo: AP)
"Until today, I thought that Mars, Jupiter and the other planets were in the imagination of scientists, "said AFP Purity Sailepo, 16 years old.
"But now I've seen it I can believe it and I want to be an astronomer to tell others." Eclipse, spectators did not need any eye protection equipment to Observe the rare exposure.For about half of the world, the moon was partially or totally in the Earth's shadow from 17:14 to 23:28 GMT – six hours and 14 minutes in all. – known as "Totality", when the moon seems the darkest – lasted from 1930 to 21:13 GMT
At the same time, Mars hovered near the moon in the night sky, easily visible to the naked eye. The southern hemisphere was best placed to witness the rare sight, especially in southern Africa, Australia and Madagascar, although it was also visible in Eu rope, South Asia and South America.
More than 2,000 people, including many children armed with twins, gathered in the Tunisian capital e from Tunis. "I hope this eclipse will bring us happiness and peace," said Karima, 46, without taking her eyes off the sky. However, bad weather thwarted cosmic exposure in many parts of the world.
Generalized monsoon storms and thick clouds hid the moon through much of India and its neighbors, which should have had a special view.
Similarly, enthusiastic observers who had gathered on the cliffs and beaches of the English county of Dorset were left in the dark because of a cloudy sky.
"It's disappointing," said 67-year-old AFP Tish Adams. "I took some pictures but there was only a trail of roses in the sky." Those who gathered in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil were more fortunate, slamming the red moon in the clear sky with their phones and cameras.
"I thought it was very pretty and I liked Mars even more, than you could see right next to the moon," says Talita Oliveira, 34. Mars was unusually large and brilliant, barely 57.7 million kilometers. million miles) of the Earth in its elliptical orbit around the sun.
The Moon turns red during a total lunar eclipse, behind the Saents in Lucerne, Switzerland, on Friday (Photo: AP)
A total lunar eclipse occurs when Earth takes a position in a straight line between the moon and the sun, erasing the direct sunlight that normally makes our satellite whitish-yellow.
The moon moves to a similar position every month, but the tilt of its orbit above or below the Earth's shadow – most months we have a full moon without eclipse.
When the three celestial bodies are perfectly aligned, the earth's atmosphere diffuses blue light from the sun while refracting or bending the red light. on the moon, usually giving it a pinkish blush.
This is what gives the phenomenon the name of "blood moon", although Mark Bailey of the Armagh Observatory in Northern Ireland has said that the color can vary considerably [19659002] on "how cloudy or transparent thos Parts of the earth's atmosphere allow sunlight to reach the moon," he told AFP.
"During a very dark eclipse, the moon can be almost invisible."
The long duration of this eclipse is partly due to the fact that the moon will make a nearly central pbad through the shadow of the Earth – the darkest and most central part of the shadow.
The moon was also at the furthest point from Earth's orbit, making its movement across the sky slower from our point of view, thus spending more time in the dark.
NASA, meanwhile, denounced the hoaxes of social media claiming that Mars would appear as big as the moon during the eclipse.
"If it were true, we would be in great trouble considering the gravitational effects on Earth, Mars and our moon!" the NASA website said.
Mars appears instead as a very bright star. "In the midst of a lunar eclipse, it may seem like a red planet has taken up residence near Earth – they are both mysterious and beautiful," said Robert Mbadey of the Royal Astronomical Society at London.
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