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The longest "blood moon" eclipse this century dazzled skygazers across the globe Friday, coinciding with Mars' closest approach in 15 years in a thrilling celestial show.
As Earth's constant companion slowly sailed across the skies, crowds gathered around
Beside Lake Magadi, 100 kilometers southwest of the Kenyan capital Nairobi, young members of the Maasai community watched the eclipse through a high-powered telescope provided by a local couple. [19659002"UntiltodayIthoughtMarsJupiterandtheotherplanetswereintheimaginationofscientists"PuritySailepo16toldAFP
"But now I've seen it, I can believe it and I want to be an astronomer to tell other people. "
Unlike a solar eclipse, viewers did not need a protective eye gear
: 14 t The time of complete eclipse – known as "totality", when the moon appears darkest – lasted from 19:30 to 21:13 GMT.
At 23:00 GMT – 6 hours and 14 minutes in all
the same time, March to the moon in the night sky, easily visible to the naked eye.
Young people watched the eclipse through a telescope beside Lake Magadi in Kenya. Picture: AFP / SIMON MAINA
Amateur astronomers in the southern hemisphere have been sighted, especially in southern Africa, Australia, and Madagascar, though it was also visible in Europe, South Asia and South America. 19659002] More than 2,000 people, including many children armed with binoculars, gathered in the Tunisian capital of Tunis.
"I hope this eclipse will bring us happiness and peace," said Karima, 46, sky.
However, bad weather thwarted the cosmic display in several parts of the world. Widespread monsoon rainstorms and thick clouds hid the moon across much of India and its neighbors, which should have had a prime view.
Similarly, eager observers who had badembled on cliffs and beaches in the English county of Dorset were left in the dark Due to an overcast sky.
"It's disappointing," Tish Adams, 67, told AFP. "I took a few pictures, but there was nothing but a streak of pink in the sky."
Meanwhile, frustrated crowds of would-be moon admirers gathered on a hill in cloudy north London consoled themselves by breaking into a rendition of Welsh singer Bonnie Tyler's 1983 hit Total Eclipse of the Heart.
Those in Brazil's Rio de Janeiro had more luck, snapping the red moon in the clear night sky with their phones and cameras.
"I thought it was very pretty and I liked the planet March even more, which you could see right next to the moon, "said Talita Oliveira, 34.
Observers in the Greek city of Corinth enjoyed prime views of the" blood moon "over the temple of Apollo . Picture: AFP / Valerie Gache
Celestial bodies align
Mars appeared unusually large and bright, a mere 57.7 million kilometers from Earth on its elliptical orbit around the sun.
A total lunar eclipse happens when Earth takes position in a straight line between the moon and sun, blotting out the direct sunlight that makes our satellite glow whitish-yellow.
The moon travels to a similar position The Earth's shadow – The most earthly light in the sky – The most earth-shattering light in the sky
It depicts the name "blood moon", although it is a sign of the "blood moon". "he said," how can it be cloudy or transparent? ", he told AFP. "During a very dark eclipse the moon may be almost invisible."
The long duration of this eclipse was partly because of the moon made at near-central pbadage through Earth's umbra – the darkest, most central part of the shadow. [19659002] "For those alive today, it's a unique event," said Sven Melchert, head of a local society of astronomy enthusiasts in Heppenheim, western Germany, cited by the DPA news agency.
This picture shows Friday's lunar eclipse in the sky over Gaza City. Picture: AFP / MAHMUD HAMS
'Eerie and beautiful'
The moon was also at the farthest point on its orbit from Earth, making its movement in the sky. 19659002] NASA, meanwhile, called social media hoaxers claiming that Mars would appear as big as the moon during the eclipse.
"If that were true, we'd be in big trouble from the gravitational pulls on Earth, March, NASA website stated.
Mars instead appeared a very bright star.
"In the middle of a lunar eclipse it can look like a red planet has taken up residence near the Earth – they are both eerie and beautiful, "said Robert Mbadey of the Royal Astronomical Society in London.
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