Blood Moon 2018: Dubai to witness century's longest total lunar eclipse on July 27

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The longest total lunar eclipse of the 21st century will take place on the night of July 27-28, 2018, lasting for 1 hour and 43 minutes
The longest total lunar eclipse of the 21st century will take place on the night of July 27-28, 2018, lasting for 1 hour and 43 minutes

New Delhi : Sky watchers, the countdown has begun! The longest total lunar eclipse of the 21st century will take place on the night of July 27-28, 2018, lasting for a whopping 1 hour and 43 minutes. Astronomical observatories in many countries, globally, are preparing to enjoy a clear view of this celestial event. And, people in Dubai can also witness a total lunar eclipse on the night of July 27, an observatory in Dubai announced.

This lunar eclipse will be mainly visible from the world’s Eastern Hemisphere which includes Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia and New Zealand. South America can watch the final stages of the eclipse just after sunset July 27, whereas New Zealand will catch the beginning stages of the eclipse before sunrise July 28.

The greatest eclipse will take place at or around midnight for Madagascar and the Middle East. Europe and Africa view the greatest eclipse during the evening hours, sometime between sunset and midnight on July 27, whereas most of Asia, Indonesia and Australia view the greatest eclipse in the morning, sometime between midnight and sunrise on July 28.

During the eclipse, the moon will enter the shadow of the earth for about four hours, and the event will be seen clearly across at least three continents, officials said.

According to the Dubai Astronomy Group, the eclipse will last for about one hour and 43 minutes, the longest in the century, and will also feature a “blood moon”.

Actually, the term “Blood moon” is non-scientific, but refers to the red tinge on a fully eclipsed moon.

The total duration of the partial phases is 2 hours and 12 minutes (22:24 pm to 02:19 am). The duration of the full eclipse is 1 hour and 43 minutes (23:30 pm to 01:13 am).

Mars appearance will be the second brightest in the last 60,000 years, the observatory said.

Sources confirmed that the Dubai Astronomy Group will set up an integrated event for both lunar and mars events.