The Red Planet and the "Blood Moon" marry to dazzle sky watchers – AT SCHOOL



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The longest "blood moon" eclipse of this century will coincide with the closest approach to Mars in 15 years to offer astronomers an astronomical astronomical doublet Friday, July 27, say astronomers.

For about half of the world, the moon will be partially or totally in the shadow of the Earth from 1714 to 2328 GMT – six hours and 14 minutes in all.

The complete eclipse period – known as the "totality", when the moon appears the darkest at 2113 GMT.

"The Totality will last 103 minutes, making it the longest eclipse of the 21st century!" Said the Royal Astronomical Society in London.

At the same time, Mars will hover near the Moon in the night sky, easily visible to the naked eye.

Our neighboring planet will appear unusually large and bright, only 57.7 million kilometers from the Earth in its elliptical orbit around the sun.

"We have a rare and interesting conjunction of phenomena", Pascal Descamps, a "We should have a copper-red hue on the moon with Mars the" red planet "next door, very bright and with a slight hue orange she -even."

Amateur Astronomers from southern Africa, Australia, India and Madagascar will be best positioned to enjoy the show, but they will also be visible in Europe and South America.

A lunar eclipse occurs when the Earth is in a straight line. the moon and the sun, erasing the direct sunlight that normally makes our satellite bright yellow-whitish.

The moon moves to a similar position every month, but the tilt of its orbit means that it normally goes 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 the blue light from the sun while refracting or bending the red light on the C's and 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 greatly.

It depends partly on "what cloudy or cloudy weather". "During a very dark eclipse, the moon can be almost invisible."

"Less dark eclipses can show that the moon is as dark gray or brown … rust, brick red, or, if very bright, copper red or orange."

The long duration of this eclipse is in part due to the fact that the moon will make a close – central pbadage through the shadow of the Earth – the darkest and most central part of the shadow. AFP

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