Astronomy enthusiasts, this one’s for you! The longest lunar eclipse of this century is happening across Friday night and Saturday morning!
People in Lebanon will be able to enjoy this rare celestial phenomenon for a record-breaking 1 hour and 43 minutes! The moon will appear blood red as it will be completely eclipsed by the Earth starting 8:14 PM on Friday.
Via Denali National Park and Preserve
Unlike with solar eclipses, lunar eclipses are less common and safe to watch meaning you can view it without using protective eyewear.
This eclipse is considered to be rare because it will last for so long. People in North America will not be able to see the blood moon.
Chris Tinney, a professor in the physics department at the University of New South Wales, said that the best way to see it is far from urban cities where there’s no light pollution.
“If you’re living in [a city] then there’s a lot of light pollution from the night sky, so the contrast between the moon and the sky won’t be as great,” he said.
According to this eclipse tracker, the maximum eclipse will be visible at 23:21 PM.
NASA, TimeAndDate.com, the Weather Channel, Slooh, The Vitual Telescope Project, and others will broadcast live online footage of the event on YouTube.
Blue Blood Moon
On January 31, the world witnessed the Super Blue Blood Moon which hasn’t happened in 152 years.
A blue moon is when two full moons happen in the same month. Lunar eclipses happen when the moon passes behind the Earth into its shadow. The Blood Moon occurs when the moon is passing between the Earth and the sun.
On this day, some parts of the world witnessed these three phenomena happen all at once! It definitely is a great year for people who enjoy astronomy!