The longest lunar eclipse of the century is about to happen



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July has already been a real treat for astronomers, with five planets to see in the evening sky, Mars looking the best we've seen in 15 years, and now, in the early hours of Saturday morning July 28, there will be either an extraordinary lunar total eclipse.

We are currently in the midst of a season of five planets due to Jupiter and Saturn being on the same side of the sun.

Look at the sky after sunset, and if you have a good view of both east and west horizons, you will see the planets extended in line. Mars and Saturn will rise to the east, Jupiter will sit over his heads, and Venus Shining and Mercury weak will lie to the west.

  Astronomers watched the Moon visit each planet in turn, slowly changing from Crescent Moon near Mercury and Venus to a Full Moon near Mars. Image: Victoria / Stellarium Museums

Astronomers watched the moon visit each planet alternately, slowly changing from a crescent moon near Mercury and Venus Image: Victoria Museums / Stellarium

Over the In the next few years, there will be more times when the five planets visible to the naked eye can be seen together, but eventually Jupiter and Saturn will separate and once that happens there will be another decade before the five planets meet once again.

The Moon begins its tour of the planets on Sunday, July 15th. It will be a thin crescent moon in the western sky and is a large panel for Mercury that will be just to the left of the Moon with bright Venus sitting on it

The next night, the Moon will be near Venus (as shown by the 39, image above) Then on July 19, the Moon of the First Tr under the brilliant star Spica

On July 21, the Gibbous Moon The Full Moon ends the tour on July 27 when she rejoins mars shining at its best and the most brilliant.

Red Planet, Red Moon

] Every month, when we see the Full Moon, we see the Moon "in opposition". This means that the Moon is directly opposite to the Sun, rises as the Sun goes down and sets when the Sun rises

On July 27, not only is the Moon in opposition, but Mars too, and she is very favorable. much closer to the Earth than the average.

  The March opposition recalls the favorable opposition of 2003 that has brought Mars closer to Earth for 60,000 years. Click on the image to enlarge. Photo: Zolt Levay (STScI) "title =" The March opposition points to the favorable opposition of 2003 that has brought Mars closer to Earth for 60,000 years. Click on the image to enlarge. Photo: Zolt Levay (STScI) "width =" 809 "height =" 807 "itemprop =" image "/> 

<p class= The opposition of Mars recalls the favorable opposition of 2003 that brought Mars closer to the Earth compared to Image: Zolt Levay (STScI)

Mars approaching the Earth on July 31 at a distance of 58 million km and its rapid increase in brightness over the past few weeks has up to in early September, Mars will eclipse Jupiter and become the third brightest object in the night sky, behind the Moon and Venus (a graph of Mars brightness is here).

The reason Mars can vary in brightness so much because it's our neighbor in space and that it follows an elliptical orbit throughout 2017. Mars was pretty dull as it was on the opposite side of the Sun to the Earth, and therefore to farther away, 19659006] But even with each opposition, the distance between the Earth and Mars can vary from 2018 is certainly one of the best

With Mars a striking red in the night sky, what else could be better than teaming up with a blood red moon

In the shadow

When we look at the In the early hours of July 28, Red Mars will sit just above and to the left of the eclipsed Moon.

Everywhere in Australia, everyone will see the moon enter the shadow of the Earth at the same time. In fact, everyone on the side of the Earth will see the eclipse together.

  The eclipse of July 28 will run in the same way as this eclipse of June 16, 2011. Image: Phil Hart "title =" The eclipse of July 28 will run in the same way as this eclipse of June 16, 2011. Image: Phil Hart "width =" 1002 "height =" 501 "itemprop =" image "/> </div>
<p class= The eclipse of July 28 will run the same way at this eclipse as of June 16, 2011. Image: Phil Hart

Western Australia will be the only state to observe the entire eclipse: it will start from the Moon to the northwest and end with the low moon to On the western horizon.

For the rest of Australia, the eclipse will begin with the Moon in the western sky and the Moon will fold as and when As the moon sets, the Sun will rise so that the last part of the eclipse will occur … clear sky of dawn

L & # 39; 39, exact time e de Moonset depends on the location, with the setting of the Moon (and the Sun rising) earlier In Brisbane, Sydney and Canberra, the Moon will lie down during the whole while Darwin, Adelaide, Melbourne and Hobart will see the end of the totality and the Moon will fold partially eclipsed.

The advantage of seeing the moon eclipsed at the horizon is that the illusion of the moon comes into play. Our brains will lead us to think that the moon is larger than normal, this which explains why the rising and rising moon can be particularly impressive.

Lunar Trio

Lunar eclipses are usually slow and quiet events, but this one overcomes them while being the longest eclipse of the 21st century.

Totality will last 1 hour and 43 minutes, 4 minutes less than the longest possible duration. Three things came together to make this possible

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First of all, and above all, this eclipse will see the Moon move to the center of the Shadow of the Earth, creating a long and profound eclipse.

Second, the eclipse occurs during an eclipse. "Apogee" Moon, when the Moon is the farthest from the Earth

For those who remember Kepler's Second Law, being the furthest away means that the Moon is moving at its slower, there are more minutes in the shadow of the Earth compared to a perigee moon. when the Moon approaches the Earth and moves faster.

Finally, a few extra minutes are recovered because this eclipse occurs near the aph

The shaded shadow of the Earth extends and widens when the Earth is farthest from the Sun

The darkest part is the darkest part of the Earth. shadow of the Earth and the region in which the Moon must move to form an eclipse. eclipses, when the moon only passes through the paler and penumbral shadow, but it is almost impossible to see a real change in the brightness of the moon in this case).

It is completely safe to see a lunar eclipse and no special equipment needed to see it. This is our last chance to see a total lunar eclipse until May 2021, although we will catch a partial lunar eclipse next July.

Get ready for a good look at the planet in the next fortnight. July 28 to see the eclipse and catch a real natural wonder.

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