Lunar eclipse: the longest 'moon of blood & # 39; of the current century

Skywatchers are treated to the longest "blood moon" eclipse of the 21st century.

As he climbs, during this total eclipse, the earth's natural satellite becomes a shade of red or reddish brown. "period, when the light of the moon is totally darkened, will last one hour, 43 minutes.

At least a portion of the eclipse is visible from Europe, the Middle East, the United States, and the United States. Africa, Australia, most of Asia and South America.

• In pictures: Moon of blood seen from around the world

In the UK, the moon would have entirely appeared in red, completely overshadowed by the Earth, from 9:00 pm to 10:15 pm (except that clouds have obscured the sights for many people.) [19659007] Over the next few days, Mars will be at its closest point to the Earth since 2003 – visible as a "bright red star" where the skies are clear.

Why will the eclipse last so long?

The Moon crosses the center of the Earth's shadow, at the widest point of the shadow

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In fact, almost as long as a lunar eclipse could be, "explained Professor Tim O. Brien, astrophysicist at the University of Manchester.

This coincides not only with the close approach of Mars, but with what he describes as a "procession of planets" – an alignment of our celestial neighbors that will give sky observers a view particularly good of Venus, Jupiter, Saturn and Mars.

Eclipse Terms

Umbra: The Darkest and Central Part of the Earth's Shade

Penumbra: The Outside clearer from the shadow of our planet

Because the Moon is far from the Earth relatively speaking – its orbit is an ellipse, so it gets closer and closer and looks smaller and smaller of the Earth .

"Mars will look like this beautiful red star just below the moon," says Professor O & # 39; Brien

"Every two or three years, the Earth overtakes Mars in the interior as it is in orbit around the Sun, so that Mars is closest to us

"And because of the elliptical shape orbit, it is even closer than normal; It's really a good time to spot Mars. "

Where will the eclipse be visible?

Where the sky is clear of clouds, the show is visible almost everywhere in the world, except in North America." The eclipse had already started at the moment when the Moon rose in the UK and Western Europe.

The best views – if the weather allowed – were expected in Eastern Europe, in Central and Eastern Africa and Southeast Asia, the eclipse is visible

Dr. Emily Brunsden, director of the Astrocampus of the University of York, added that this eclipse was a "micro blood moon"

"It's a total eclipse to both in its orbit when it is close to being the farthest "

" Where the moon is smaller than usual. "

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The steps of a total lunar eclipse

• The penumbral eclipse begins: It starts when the outer (and clearer) part of the Earth's shadow begins to move on the Moon
• Start of partial eclipse: This step settles when the dark inner part of the Earth's shadow (Umbra) begins to cover the Moon [19659050] The total eclipse begins: Also called totality, it occurs when the shadow completely covers the Moon, giving it a brown-red color ugeâtre
• Maximum eclipse: The midpoint of the totality [19659052] The end of the total eclipse: The ombra begins to move away from the moon
• The partial eclipses end: The shadow of the Earth completely leaves the surface of the Moon
• The Penumbral eclipse ends: The outer part of the shadow s & # 39, far away from the moon

Source: timeanddate.com

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