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The countdown finally began for one of the greatest incidents of the century – the longest lunar eclipse. The lunar eclipse 2018 will take place at the late hours of July 27th in the early morning of July 28th. The total lunar eclipse is a unique celestial phenomenon in which people will have the opportunity to take a look at the so-called "Blood Moon". The total eclipse will last 1 hour and 43 minutes, the moon will be in perfect alignment with the sun and the Earth. The event is much more than a cosmic wonder of a night. Before you rejoice to watch the Blood Moon, read these interesting scientific facts about the lunar eclipse 2018.
Fun Science Facts About the Lunar Eclipse 2018
1. The moon revolves around the earth about 12 times a year. The eclipse does not happen every time the moon revolves around the Earth. This is because the orbital planes of the Earth and the Moon differ only slightly. The two intersect at an angle of about 5 degrees.
2. In simple terms, this lunar eclipse of July will be such that the earth will come directly between the sun and the moon. As a result, sunlight will be blocked to reach the surface of the moon and cast a shadow over it.
3. But the event will not be visible in all parts of the world, as it is the case with most eclipses. But do not worry because India will fall under the area in which the blood moon will be visible.
4. The story behind the blood moon: During the lunar eclipse 2018, the moon will be at the greatest distance from the earth. As a result, the moon revolution around the planet will seem slower than usual. As mentioned above, the moon will also fall under the region on which the earth casts its shadow. This region is known as the umbra. This will protect the moon from the sun for a much longer time. A red light will be reflected on the surface of the moon, and so we will all see a beautiful red moon or blood.
5. The hue of light is due to an interesting fact. There are colors with shorter wavelengths and there are colors with longer wavelengths. Lights like blue are refracted at sharper angles and therefore have shorter wavelengths. The lights like red on the other hand, do not diverge very far from their original trajectory and therefore have longer wavelengths. Low frequency waves refract just enough to pbad the earth and land on the moon. This is the reason why lunar eclipses appear in red.
6. The lunar eclipse 2018 is however the second blood moon of 2018. The Earth witnessed a "super blue blood moon" on the night of January 31st. Many parts of the world have seen the moon of super blue blood.
7. People in India will be able to witness the lunar eclipse 2018. Some parts of northeastern India may not be able to see the entire lunar eclipse. People in North America and Northwestern South America will not be able to attend the event. Parts of the eclipse will be seen by most parts of Europe, Australia, Japan, China, and West Africa.
8. The Blood Moon will begin at 11:43 pm on July 27th and end at 5:34 am on July 28th.
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