The longest lunar eclipse of the century will silence the moon this month | Smart news

For all astronomers who experience eclipse retreats, the universe has good news: the longest lunar eclipse of the 21st century will take place in a few weeks, the evening of July 27th. Bad news? If you are reading this at the US borders, you will not be able to watch from home.

This eclipse will be fully visible in East Africa and Central Asia starting at 3:30 pm. at 5:13 pm EDT, while viewers in West Africa, East Asia, South America, Europe and Australia will have a partial glimpse, according to Temi Adebowale at Popular Mechanics . Including phases where the moon is partially obscured, the event will last nearly four hours in total.

Unlike solar eclipses like the spectacular spectacular summer of last year, when the moon passes between the Earth and the sun, blocking the sun, a lunar eclipse occurs when the Earth passes between the moon and the sun , obscuring the moon from the illumination of the sun. Thus, rather than having a dark sky, the audience will be treated to a red and red face that is often nicknamed "blood moon" (although the most delicate term is reserved for a series of four consecutive lunar eclipses). )

the face of the moon appears rusty for the same reason that the sky seems blue to our eyes. Although hidden by the sun, the moon is still speckled with some particles of stray light filtered through the atmosphere of the Earth. The air on Earth diffuses a shorter wavelength light, including most of the blues and greens (which go down to us on the surface of the planet), leaving the red ones more long to illuminate the moon

one is because the moon will pass almost directly through the central part of the Earth's shadow, while the moon is at a particularly distant point of the Earth in its monthly orbit. During the summer months, the Earth also moves away from the sun, allowing it to project a particularly long shadow. These three factors are what prolonged the duration of the July eclipse to 1 hour and 43 minutes, which, according to NASA, will be the longest total lunar eclipse of the 21st century. To put this into perspective, there are only four minutes left before the longest possible lunar eclipse for the Earth's most faithful satellite.

As an added celestial bonus, astronomers can spot Mars at its closest position to the Earth in 15 years, making the red planet appear about 10 times brighter than usual. Maximum proximity will occur at 3:50 EDT on July 31st. Nocturnal owls yankee, rejoice: this phenomenon will be visible in the whole world. And lucky viewers abroad can have the chance to see both heavenly bodies wrapped in purple at a time.

For those who are outside the line of sight of the lunar eclipse, the virtual telescope project will broadcast the descent of the moon into darkness. As the line of sight is directed towards the moon rather than the sun, lunar eclipses, unlike solar eclipses, are totally safe for frontal vision. Do not worry: for presidents who could read this, do not worry: this time you can watch.

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