Longest lunar eclipse of century visible across France
The longest lunar eclipse of the century so far is to take place this month, with the 103-minute spectacle set to be visible across the whole of France.
The eclipse, which will take place overnight from July 27 to 28, will occur during the next full moon.
Should skies remain clear, the event will be visible from everywhere in France, with the total eclipse set to be visible from Paris from 22h20.
It will last a full one hour, 42 minutes and 57 seconds, making it the longest eclipse of its kind this century.
The last lunar eclipse took place on January 31 2018, lasting almost one hour and 16 minutes.
As with previous similar eclipses, the Moon will take on a coppery-orange colour before disappearing completely into the shadow of the Earth. This is often called a “Blood Moon eclipse” (Lune Rousse or Lune de Sang in French).
Lunar eclipses take place when the Earth, Moon, and Sun are aligned, meaning that our planet projects a direct shadow onto our satellite.
The length of an eclipse is calculated according to the speed at which the Moon will travel across the Earth’s shadow, so the further away the Moon is from Earth at the point of eclipse, the longer the eclipse itself.
Coincidentally, Planet Mars will be the closest it has been to Earth in 15 years on the same night.
