Eclipse 2018: Blood Moon lunar eclipse TONIGHT - what time, path, how to watch
THE LONGEST lunar eclipse in the 21st century is happening tonight as star gazers across the world will sought a glimpse of the blood-red moon. Here is everything you need to know on the time of the lunar eclipse, its path and how to watch the eclipse online.
NASA explain the cause of the 'blood moon' lunar eclipse
The total eclipse will last 1 hour, 42 minutes and 57 seconds, though a partial eclipse precedes and follows, meaning the moon will spend a total of three hours and 54 minutes in the earth’s umbral shadow, according to NASA.
A lunar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes through the Earth’s shadow on the opposite side of the Earth from the Sun.
During the eclipse the moon will turn red from sunlight filtering through the Earth’s atmosphere onto the moon’s surface.
On the same night, the Sun, Earth and Mars are also aligned, bringing Mars also opposite the sun in our sky.
Andrew Fabian, professor of astronomy at the University of Cambridge said: “It’s called a blood moon because the light from the sun goes through the earth’s atmosphere on its way to the moon, and the earth’s atmosphere turns it red in the same way that when the sun goes down it goes red.”
What time is the lunar eclipse?
People living in Australia, New Zealand, Europe, Africa and Asia will have the best view of the eclipse.
The eclipse will happen at around midnight for those in the Middle East and Madagascar.
Europe and Africa will have the best view between sunset and midnight.
Asia, Indonesia and Australia will see it between midnight and sunrise on Saturday, July 28.
The lunar eclipse will take place between 8.49pm until 10.13pm in the UK, however the best time to view it will be at 9.21pm.
The eclipse will not be visible in North America, much of the Pacific Ocean and most of the Arctic.
South America can watch the final stages of the eclipse just after sunset on July 27, whereas New Zealand will catch the beginning stages of the eclipse before sunrise on July 28.
Totality will last for 103 minutes, making it the longest eclipse of the 21st century.
July 27, 2018
Partial eclipse begins: 7.24pm BST
Total eclipse begins: 8.30pm BST
Greatest eclipse: 9.22pm BST
Total eclipse ends: 10.13pm BST
Partial eclipse ends: 11.19pm BST
Path of lunar eclipse
NASA has provided a full path of where the eclipse will be visible. the more light a place is on the map above, the more of it you will be able to see.
The lunar eclipse is primarily visible in the world’s Eastern Hemisphere - Europe, Asia, Australia and New Zealand.
Totality will be visible in the Middle East, India, parts of central Asia and eastern and southern Africa.
How to watch the lunar eclipse?
The Virtual Telescope Project will share a live stream of the lunar eclipse and Mars at its brightest just a few degrees apart above the skyline of Rome.
The live stream begins at 7.30pm BST and the stream will come from the Roman Forum on Palatine Hill.
Slooh, a robotic telescope service, will also live stream the eclipse beginning at 1pm ET and ends at 7.28pm ET.
The telescope service estimates tens of thousands of people will tune in online.
NASA will provide live views of the eclipse form 7.15pm BST until as late as 11.30pm BST.