& # 39; Blood Moon & # 39; dazzles skygazers in the longest eclipse of the century

As Earth's companion slowly sailed across the sky, crowds gathered around the world to observe the rare phenomenon.

Next to Lake Magadi, 100 kilometers southwest of Nairobi. The Masai community observed the eclipse through a high power telescope provided by a local couple. "Until today, I thought that Mars, Jupiter and the other planets were in the imagination of scientists," said Purity Sailepo, 16. 19659005] "But now I've seen it I can believe it and I want to be an astronomer to tell other people."

Contrary to a solar eclipse, the spectators did not need goggles to observe the rare exposure. 19659005] For about half of the world, the moon was 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 "darkest" totality lasted from 1930 to 2113 GMT.

March, hovering near the moon in the night sky, easily visible to the naked eye.

Southern Hemisphere amateur astronomers were in the best position to observe this rare sight, especially in southern Africa, Australia and Madagascar. also visible in Europe, South Asia and South America.

More than 2,000 people, including many children armed with twins, gathered in the Tunisian capital of Tunis

"I hope this eclipse will bring us happiness and peace" 46. However, bad weather thwarted cosmic exposure in many parts of the world

Generalized monsoon storms and heavy clouds hid the moon across much of India and its neighbors, Likewise, enthusiastic observers who had gathered on the cliffs and beaches of the English county of Dorset were left in the dark because of a cloudy sky

"C & # 39; disappointing ", Tish Adams, 67 years old. , told AFP. "I took some pictures but there was nothing but a trail of pink in the sky."

Meanwhile, a frustrated crowd of moon-worshipers gathered on a hill in cloudy northern London consoled themselves by performing a Welsh singer Bonnie Tyler's 1983 hit, "The Total Eclipse of the heart".

Those of Rio de Janeiro in Brazil were luckier, slamming the red moon in the clear sky with their phones and cameras

and I liked the planet Mars even more, than you could see right next to the moon, "said Talita Oliveira, 34.

Celestial bodies align

Mars appeared unusually large and brilliant, a mere 57.7 million kilometers (35, 9 million miles) of the Earth in its elliptical orbit around the sun

A total lunar eclipse occurs when the Earth takes a position in a straight line between the moon and the sun, wiping out direct sunlight. Yellow.

The moon travels to a similar position every month, but the tilt of its orbit means that it normally passes above or below the Earth's shadow – so most months we have a full moon without eclipse. [19659004] When the three celestial bodies are perfectly aligned However, the Earth's atmosphere diffuses the blue light from the sun while refracting or bending the red light on the moon, usually giving it a pinkish blush.

This is what gives the phenomenon the name of "blood moon". The Armagh Observatory in Northern Ireland has said that the color can vary considerably.

It depends in part on "the transparency or transparency of those parts of the earth's atmosphere that allow sunlight to reach the moon". The long duration of this eclipse was partly due to the fact that the moon made a nearly central passage through the shadow of the Earth, the darkest and most central part of the shadow

. those who are alive today, "It's a unique event," said Sven Melchert, head of a local astronomy enthusiast company in Heppenheim, Germany. West, quoted by the DPA news agency.

& # 39; Eerie and beautiful & # 39;

was also at the furthest point of its earth orbit, making its movement across the sky slower from our point of view, thus spending more time in the dark.

NASA announced that social media was saying that Mars would appear as big as the moon during the eclipse.

"If that was true, we would be in great trouble considering the gravitational effects on Earth, Mars and our moon!" March 1965 appeared as a very bright star

"In the middle of a lunar eclipse, one may have the impression that a red planet has taken up residence near Earth, they are at the both mysterious and beautiful. "said Robert Massey of the Royal Astronomical Society in London.

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The red planet and the "blood moon" marry to dazzle the skygazers