The Longest Lunar Eclipse Of The Century Is About To Happen
Prepare yourselves sky gazers..
The longest lunar eclipse of the 21st century will take place on July 27, 2018, when the shadow of Earth will completely cover the moon for 1 hour and 43 minutes. In addition to being eclipsed, the Moon will also turn red reflecting the sun’s rays, creating a truly spectacular view. In the last century, only four total lunar eclipses had a period totality—the time where the moon is completely eclipsed—that rivaled this summer’s event. This included a lunar eclipse on June 15, 2011, that lasted 100 minutes, one on July 16, 2000, which lasted 107 minutes, an eclipse in July 1982 that lasted 107 minutes and one in July 1935 that lasted 101 minutes, Space.com writes. Because these events took place in the 20th century, the eclipse of July will be the longest lunar eclipse of the present century. However, not everyone will be able to witness the phenomenon, and those who won’t be able to witness this magical phenomenon at its best are the residents of North and South America, IFLScience reported.
The eclipse will be more visible to people living in Africa, the Middle East, India, Australia and some areas of Europe. A total lunar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes through the shadow of the Earth, known as the umbra. This happens when the Sun, the Earth and the Moon are aligned. It is like a total solar eclipse, but this time it is our planet that eclipses the Sun, and since the Earth is much bigger than the Moon, it becomes completely engulfed in its shadow. During the total lunar eclipse, the Moon not only darkens. In July, we will witness it turning red because of the refracted sunlight on the surface of the Earth. It is similar to when red sunsets appear in our sky.
The lunar eclipse of July 27, 2018, will be particularly long because the Moon will pass through the center of the umbra, which means that it will remain in the shadow for a longer period of time. When the Moon passes only on the side of the umbra, the eclipse lasts shorter. However, there are a number of other factors that have to be taken into consideration. For example, the position of the Earth in its orbit also plays an important role. According to Earthsky, this July 27 the Earth will be at its furthest point from the Sun, known as the apogee, which means that it casts a larger shadow. And on the same date, the Moon will be at the most distant point in its monthly orbit around Earth, known as the lunar apogee.
The combination of these rare space events will allow us to observe this unusual phenomenon in a stunning w.
Read the full article at the original website
References:
