Next Wednesday, June 15, one of the biggest astronomical events of the year will take place:a total lunar eclipsewhich will be visible, weather permitting, from Europe, East Africa, Central Asia, the Middle East, Western Australia and some regions of South America. Observers in Europa will miss the first part of the show, since it will start before the Moon appears in the sky. NASA has announced thatthe eclipse will last almost six hours in total, although the Earth will completely cover the moon for an hour and 41 minutes. Thestart of the whole will be at 21.22, peninsular time, a few minutes before the Moon rises, already totally eclipsed. The maximum of the eclipse will be reached at 22.12. And the end of the whole will occur at 23:02. The Moon will leave the umbra (the shadow that the Earth casts) at 02:02.
According to the “Sirio” Astronomical Association, as night falls and the sky darkens,the moon will be staining reddish colors. “Responsible for this will be the Earth’s atmosphere itself, which acts as a prism to the sun’s rays, refracting the bluest lights (which is why we see the blue sky) and letting the reddish rays pass through almost without deviating, which are in ultimately those that reach the lunar surface “, they explain from the association.
A lunar eclipse occurs whenEarth stands between the Sun and the Moon, blocking the sun’s rays and casting a shadow on our satellite.
