27 July 2018 : The longest Total Lunar Eclipse of all history !

(TFS) - A lunar eclipse roughly occurs once or twice a year when a full moon passes through the centre of Earth’s shadow.

Like clockwork, a lunar eclipse is dictated by the heavenly movements of the sun, the Earth and the moon, which normally seem out of sync, but perfectly align for one special moment.

The last total lunar eclipse graced the night skies with its presence on the night of January 31, 2018, and was the spectacular Super Blue Blue Blood Moon combo.

Will there be a Blood Moon eclipse this week?

On the night of Friday, July 27, the plane on which the moon orbits around the sun will align with the plane on which the Earth revolves around the sun.

The stellar alignment will result in the moon disappearing into the Earth’s shadow and reappearing as the ominous Blood Moon.

During the eclipse, the moon will first pass through the Earth’s faint shadow known as the penumbra.

So-called penumbral eclipsing is typically very faint and most people would not notice it without knowing it was happening.

Eclipse 2018: The Blood Moon will pass over the UK on Friday, July 27 (Image: GETTY)

The real spectacle will start when the moon passes into the umbra, which will look like a black disk moving across the glowing face of the moon.

Total lunar eclipses happen about once or twice a year

Professor Mark Birkshaw, University of Bristol

But as the moon progresses into the umbra a brilliant trick of light will paint the moon a deep red to orange colour, rather than hide it from sight.

The effect is known as Rayleigh scattering and according to Professor Mark Birkshaw, University of Bristol, is caused by scattered sunlight in the Earth’s atmosphere.

Red and orange bands of light are least affected whereas blue light which typically illuminates the moon is filtered out.

The result of this effect is the spectacular Blood Moon lunar eclipse.

Professor Birkshaw added: “Total lunar eclipses happen about once or twice a year.

“They are a very nice thing to watch because they happen swiftly and you can get some nice colour effect with it.”

Eclipse 2018: Lunar eclipses happen when the moon moves through the Earth's shadow (Image: GETTY)

Eclipse 2018: The Earths' shadow will paint the moon a blood-red colour (Image: GETTY)

What time is the Blood Moon eclipse this week?

The total lunar eclipse will begin on the nightside of the Earth on Friday, with some places seeing a redder moon in the early hours of Saturday, July 28.

Global Event: Total Lunar Eclipse

Local Type: Total Lunar Eclipse, in Sousse

Begins: ven 27 juil 2018, 19 h 18

Maximum: ven 27 juil 2018, 21 h 21 1,61 Magnitude

Ends: sam 28 juil 2018, 00 h 28

Duration: 5 hours, 10 minutes

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Source: https://www.express.co.uk/news/science/994057/Eclipse-2018-Blood-Moon-this-week-July-total-lunar-eclipse-date