Live Blood Moon: The total lunar eclipse today coincides with "Blood Moon" now visible in much of the world – watch Live Updates

JOHANNESBURG – Sky observers around the world are being treated for a complete lunar eclipse that is the longest of this century. Watch the live stream of the CBSN's Johannesburg and worldwide eclipse coverage in the reader above.

The total eclipse lasts 1 hour and 43 minutes. The entire event lasts closer to four hours.

Astronomer Kobie Van Zyl of the Johannesburg Planetarium in South Africa told Debora Patta, CBS News' foreign correspondent, that the distances between the Earth and the Moon and between Earth and the Sun were different. On Friday, the moon would reach its furthest point on Earth – about 250,000 miles – and the Earth was at its furthest point from the sun, Van Zyl said. "We will see all eclipses occur again, but nothing so long," he said. "It's the longest for the next few hundred years."

Because the moon is at the furthest point of its Earth's orbit, its movement across the sky will be slower from our point of view, according to AFP.

The so-called "blood moon", when it becomes bright red, is visible at different times in Australia, Africa, Asia, Europe, and South America. When the sun, the Earth and the moon align perfectly, the shadow of the Earth is projected onto the moon.

Throughout Africa, people are turning to the sky, watching the reddish shadow slide on the surface of the moon. In the Somali capital, Mogadishu, hundreds of people rushed to the mosques for special prayers often observed during lunar eclipses while clerics on loudspeakers pressed them

In South Sudan, some dared to take pictures in a country torn apart by the war. in public is discouraged. In the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, people from an open-air restaurant admired a rare unobstructed view during the rainy season, comparing a live broadcast of NASA to what they saw above. above

"Dem yelebesech chereka" "The reason the moon turns red is because the atmospheric scattering makes the red light go through the atmosphere and the composition of the atmosphere can change if eruptions volcanic or wildfires occur, "said Tom Kerss, an astronomer from the Royal Observatory of Greenwich. "And the density of dust that increases in the atmosphere can make the moon appear a particularly deep red, and in fact, it has the same effect on our sunsets and sunrises."

Derrick Pitts, chief astronomer at the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia, told CBSN that the phrase "blood moon" was only recently attached to the phenomenon. "It was really more of a public relations or public affairs affair than anything else because you know that the color of the moon in eclipses can vary from day to night. a tanned or coppery color, "he says.

occur so that it has hardly a color at all, but when you have really deep lunar eclipses, as we have had some in the last two years, a very good way to promote this is if you attach the nickname on it's that it's a moon 'blood red & # 39; and that really engages people to go out and see it. "

Moon, Mars will not appear to be the same size

In a special treat, Mars is also at its closest approach to Earth this week since 2003, making it look bigger and brighter. NASA has denounced social media hoaxes claiming that Mars will appear as big as the moon during the eclipse, reports AFP.

Enthusiastic air observers on social media shared photos of the planet Bright just to the right of the moon.North America missed the lunar eclipse on Friday, but can look forward to the next January 21, 2019, according to NASA

Coverage period of the lunar eclipse

CBSN today covers the "moon of blood" eclipse of 2018. Look at the watercourse at the top of the page to see various shots of the moon throughout of the eclipse.

These live broadcasts at several angles are for will follow until the end of the eclipse.