South Africans are getting ready to view the highly anticipated “blood moon” eclipse. Astronomers across the globe are expected to have their attention fixed at the skies on Friday evening to witness what is expected to be the longest lunar eclipse of the 21 century when the moon will transform into a slightly red colour.
The phenomenon happens when the earth perfectly aligns between the moon and sun, momentarily over-casting the moon with the shadow of the earth.
Lunar eclipse will last 1 hour, 42 minutes and 57seconds
While eclipses are common occurrences, this eclipse is expected to be far from ordinary. The total lunar eclipse will last 1 hour, 42 minutes and 57seconds. It will be preceded and followed by a partial eclipse, which means the moon will spend a total of 3 hours and 54 minutes in the earth’s umbral shadow, according to NASA.
Also, tonight is a blood moon, which appears orange, brown or crimson as sunlight is bent through the earth’s atmosphere.
“Lunar eclipses occur much more regularly. Even early this year there was one but what is special about this lunar eclipse is that it is the longest in the last couple of decades. The last long one was in 2000. So this is the 2nd long one after that. The whole process will take about 4 hours from the beginning when the moon starts to get dark and change colour and become reddish in colour to when the moon again emerges on the other side of the shadow of the earth and appears as normal,” says North West University deputy dean of community engagement and stakeholder relations.
Observatory residents in Johannesburg gather to witness the Lunar Eclipse
Stargazers in Durban are expecting a cloudless, clear night sky to witness what experts say will probably be the longest lunar eclipse this century. An extra bonus is that our neighbouring planet, Mars, will appear unusually large and bright.
