How to view the longest lunar eclipse this century

The UK will have one of the best views of the eclipse in the world at dusk tonight (Friday July 27), as the moon turns blood red for hours.

The spectacle will be visible across Europe, Asia, Australia, Africa, South America and the Middle East, but not North America.

What is a total lunar eclipse?

An eclipse occurs when the Earth comes between the moon and the sun, causing the Earth’s shadow to cover the moon.

During a total lunar eclipse, the Earth blocks light from the sun and it turns a reddish colour due to sunlight bending through the Earth’s atmosphere.

Short wavelengths like blue and violet bounce off the Earth, while longer wavelengths like red and orange pass through, leading the moon to glow in those colours.

When will we see the lunar eclipse?

The moon will rise in the south-east first, at around 8.50pm in London, and the eclipse will continue until early on Saturday.

It is safe to look at a lunar eclipse without any protective eyewear.

The eclipse will reach maximum totality at 9.21pm and finish at 10.31pm, though the partial eclipse will continue for another two hours after that.

The eclipse on Friday is set to be the longest of the 21st Century, as the full moon happens to coincide next month with the point at which the moon’s orbit is furthest away from the earth, so it will take longer to pass through the earth’s shadow.

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