The largest total lunar eclipse of the 21st century occurs this Friday. In Portugal you will see

The Moon will be in the shadow of Earth Friday, but Portugal will catch the phenomenon only in the middle as the Moon is born at a time when the entire eclipse is already taking place . During the eclipse, the Moon will have a red hue at certain points due to the light projected by the Sun.

The total lunar eclipse, which will last about an hour and 45 minutes, will be visible from Australia, Antarctica, Asia, Africa, Middle East, Europe, South America, Ocean South Pacific, Indian Ocean and Atlantic Ocean. North America and Greenland are two regions not recommended for those who do not want to lose the phenomenon. The chances of seeing the moon from one location in these two geographic areas are virtually nil.

In Portugal, the Moon is born at 20:47 (Lisbon time) and the middle of the eclipse occurs at 21:22.

For the eclipse to be observable, the sky must be clean and the line of horizon, the source, unhindered, without trees or buildings, told Lusa the director of the Observatory Astronomical Institute of Lisbon, Rui Agostinho. The best places to see the phenomenon are those where there is less light pollution, ie far from cities or other population groups where artificial lighting reduces the contrast and alters the observation of the celestial vault.

of the Moon is a phenomenon that occurs when the Earth is between the Sun and the Moon, "in order to cast its shadow on the Moon, and the Moon completely crosses the shadow of the Earth". The lunar eclipse occurs when the full moon phase coincides with the passage of the moon through its orbital node.

As a general rule, two eclipses of the Sun and Moon occur each year. In 2018, there was a first total lunar eclipse on January 31, but it was not visible in Western Europe. Friday will be the biggest by 2100 in terms of duration, according to Rui Agostinho.

The Institute of Astrophysics and Space Science promotes an observation session on the terrace of the Teatro Romano in Lisbon. And on this page of the timeanddate website, you can confirm the best times to see the eclipse of this Friday as well as the ones that will follow.