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The longest total lunar eclipse of the century is coming Friday, and it will turn the moon into a reddish orange color for more than 100 minutes, according to NASA.
The eclipse will not be visible from North America, said Noah Petro, a scientist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, at ABC News. Star observers in regions close to the Middle East, South Africa or East, West and Southeast Asia and the United States. India may observe the celestial event as long as the weather permits.
Yann Coatsaliou / AFP / Getty Images In these areas, the entire lunar eclipse – when the moon will retain its red color – will last about an hour and 42 minutes. The entire event – beginning as the moon crosses the Earth's stratosphere – will last about six hours and 13 minutes, Petro said.
The inhabitants of Australia will be able to see the lunar eclipse as the moon goes down, while those of eastern Brazil and Western Europe will be able to see it as the moon rises.
Mike Blake / Reuters Petro suggested either renting a boat and driving it to the middle of the Indian Ocean, or visiting relatives in Ethiopia for the "best seat in the house".
In the United States, the lunar eclipse will begin around 1:14 pm. AND, and the maximum period of totality will begin around 16:21. And, making too much light outside for the moon to be visible, said Petro.
Jim Scalzo / EPA Although US residents will not be able to see the eclipse , they should still be excited because the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter – NASA's robotic spacecraft orbiting the moon – will experience it first-hand, Petro said. The LRO was launched in June 2009 to provide detailed maps to identify "safe and interesting" landing sites on the Moon for future human and robotic exploration.
UIG via Getty Images "The Moon really holds the secret to understanding how does the solar system "Petro said.
It's a good time for Americans to start excited about the moon because NASA will begin celebrating the 50th anniversary of Apollo 11, the space flight that made astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin the first two people on the moon in October. Petro said. Armstrong and Aldrin landed on the moon on July 20, 1969.
The next total lunar eclipse visible in the United States will be January 21, 2019, according to NASA. It will also be a super moon, which is a full moon or a new moon that coincides with the position of the moon closest to the Earth.
Ariel Schalit / AP What's a blood moon?
A blood moon is a term used to describe a total lunar eclipse, that is, when the moon appears obscured when it passes through the shadow of the Earth.
Petros Giannakouris / AP The total lunar eclipse receives the nickname "blood" because of the "beautiful" red color caused by the projection of all the sunrises and sunsets of the Earth on its surface, Petro told ABC News earlier this year, before the the event of the super blue blood moon that took place on January 31st.
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