Mark July 28 in your diaries, lunar-loving citizens of Australia, because that’s the day we’ll see the longest-lasting lunar eclipse of the century.
In the early hours of Saturday, July 28 the shadow of the Earth will pass over the Moon, darkening it. The celestial action kicks off at 3.14am with the penumbral eclipse (when the outer shadow of the Earth crosses the moon). The partial eclipse will start at 4.24am, and the spectacular full eclipse can be seen starting at quite reasonable 5.30am.
Best of all, stargazers will get to see the very metal-sounding astral phenomenon called a ‘blood Moon’ during the eclipse. As the full eclipse starts at 5.30am, sunlight filtered and refracted by Earth’s atmosphere will turn old mister Moon blood red, perfect for any pagan rituals or witchcraft you had planned.
In total the full eclipse will last 103 minutes, which beats the next longest eclipse of the century (from June 2011) by three minutes. Don’t sleep in if you want to see it, though, as the Moon will be below the horizon by the time the eclipse finishes.
Set your alarms and wish for clear skies.