Star gazers, rejoice! Catch the longest lunar eclipse of the century in Singapore, on Saturday, 28 July 2018!
A lunar eclipse occurs when the Sun, Earth and Moon line up perfectly, casting Earth’s shadow on the moon. During a total lunar eclipse, the Earth completely blocks direct sunlight from reaching the Moon.
The only light on the lunar surface has been refracted by Earth’s atmosphere. This light appears reddish for the same reason that a sunset or sunrise does.
The Moon will appear red during the eclipse. This is why total lunar eclipses are also known as Blood Moons.
Photo: Wikipedia
Catch the longest lunar eclipse of the century in Singapore
Earlier this year, on 31 Januray 2018, we all got treated to a rare celestial event – the Super Blue Blood Moon.
This second total lunar eclipse, on July 2018, will be visible in large parts of Australia, Asia, Africa, Europe, and South America.
It will last for 103 minutes, or 1 hour and 43 minutes, making it the longest eclipse of the 21st century.
In Singapore, this lunar event is expected to start from 1.14 am and end at 5.13am, with the total eclipse at 3.30 am.
Here is the full schedule of the longest lunar eclipse of the century in Singapore (the times are in SGT):
Photo: www.timeanddate.com
Meanwhile, there’s more reason to be excited.
The longest lunar eclipse of the century also coincides with the Mars opposition. The Mars opposition is when Mars, Earth and the Sun form a straight line during the course of their orbits.
This means that we will be able to gaze at both planet Mars and a total lunar eclipse at the same time. During the Mars opposition, Mars will be about five times brighter than usual!
In fact, Mars will come very close to the moon in the early morning of Jul 28. Photography enthusiasts are going to be in for a treat!
The next total lunar eclipse will take place on Jan 21, 2019, but it won’t be visible from Singapore as it will happen during daytime. We will have to wait for May 26, 2021, to view the next total lunar eclipse in Singapore.
Mums and dads, total lunar eclipses are spectacular events and are easy to see with the naked eye. Unlike solar eclipses, which require protective eyewear, a lunar eclipse can be viewed without specialised eye protection.
Some great moon watching spots in Singapore are:
- Punggol Waterway Park – The Sunrise Bridge
- Marina Barrage
- Pinaccle @Duxton – The Skybridge
- Changi Beach Park
- The Helix Bridge
- East Coast Park
Or, you can watch a livestream of the total lunar eclipse at TimeandDate.