On 27 July, 2018, the moon passed through the centre of the Earth’s shadow, turning red as our planet cut off the sunlight that usually makes our satellite glow silver, in what was the longest total lunar eclipse of the 21st century.
It was the longest because it occurred when the moon was near its apogee, meaning the point at which it’s furthest away from Earth. It lasted around 103 minutes, and it also happened in coincidence with Mars reaching its perihelium, which in turns means that the Red Planet was at its closest point to the Sun (and also to Earth). Mars was very visible in the night sky, a red speck next to the “blood moon,” in an astronomical meeting that happens only once every 25,000 years.
The moonrise was visible from South America, West Africa, and Europe. The totality of it was visible in Eastern and Southern Africa and Central Asia, while the moonset was visible from Eastern Asia and Australia. Take a look at how the blood moon shone red around the world here.
