Between September 7 and 8, the sky will be the scene of one of the most anticipated astronomical phenomena of the year: the blood moon. The event takes place during the longest long lunar eclipse of the year, and it is at this time that the natural satellite of the earth gets a reddish tone – the result of the way sunlight interacts with the atmosphere.
The eclipse will have a total duration of 82 minutes, but cannot be observed with the naked eye in Brazil, as well as throughout America and part of the Pacific Ocean. Here, the alternative will be to follow the live broadcast on the official channel of the National Observatory on YouTube.
Already residents of Europe, Africa, eastern Australia and New Zealand will have the opportunity to watch the blood moon live.
What is the time to accompany the phenomenon?
The Red Moon – as it is also called – will begin to gain reddish tones at 2:30 pm (Brasília time), scheduled for 3:52 pm.
Even if the phenomenon is not visible to the naked eye in Brazil, It can be accompanied in real time by the National Observatory on YouTube. Live broadcast is scheduled for Sunday (7), from 12h.
And for those in regions where the phenomenon can be observed, the good news is that no special equipment is required. Unlike solar eclipse, the blood moon offers no risk to vision.
The recommendation is just to look for a open place, with good visibility of the moon and little interference of light pollution. For a more detailed observation, binoculars or telescopes may be useful but are not indispensable.
What is a total lunar eclipse, which has the result of the blood moon?
O eclipse lunar total occurs when the earth positions exactly between the sun and the moonblocking the passage of sunlight and projecting its shadow over the entire natural satellite. In this scenario, the lunar surface is completely covered by the earth’s umbra.
There is also the partial eclipse, where only part of the moon enters the umbra, while the rest remains in the dim.
The next total visible lunar eclipse in Brazil will take place on March 3, 2026. Partially is scheduled to take place on August 28 of the same year.
What exactly happens for the moon to turn red?
According to NASA, “colors with shorter wavelengths – blues and violets – spread more easily than colors with longer wavelengths, such as red and orange. Like these longer wavelengths can cross the earth’s atmosphere, and the shorter wavelengths disperse, the moon seems orange or reddish during one lunar eclipse ”.
The US Agency responsible for astronomy research also adds that, The more dust or clouds there is the earth’s atmosphere, the redder the natural satellite color will be at the time of the eclipse.
