In the night between yesterday and today the sky gave an extraordinary show: A total eclipse of the moonwho saw our satellite red while crossing the shadow of the earth. This phenomenon, also known as “Blood moon“, It occurs when our planet interposes between the sun and the moon, blocking direct light and filtering it through the terrestrial atmosphere.
The event started at 4:57 Italian timewith the entrance of the moon into the penumbra. The most evident phase, the one in which the satellite entered the Earth’s shadow, began at 6:09, while the maximum of the eclipse occurred At 7:59. However from Italy it was possible to observe Only the first stages of the phenomenonsince the moon has set shortly after entering the shadows, being visible for a limited time and very low on the horizon.
Why does the moon become red?
The characteristic red-orange color that the moon takes on during a total eclipse is due to diffusion of sunlight by the Earth’s atmosphere. The same effect that colors the sky at dawn and sunset with red is reflected on the lunar surface, creating a shade that can vary according to the atmospheric conditions. In some cases it is also possible to observe one Blue shade on the margins of the shadowcaused by the ozone present in the atmosphere, which filters the wavelengths of the light selectively.
An astronomical event followed live
The eclipse had a total duration of about six hours and was able to be followed live thanks to Virtual Telescope Projectwhich has collected images from different parts of the world, including the United States, Canada and Panama. Phenomena of this type occur about twice a year, when the sun, the earth and the moon find themselves perfectly aligned and the moon is in its full phase but are not always visible from all the regions of the planet.
A solar eclipse is coming
However, there are excellent news for the future for those who have lost this lunar eclipse. In fact, another astronomical event is coming who will catch the attention of fans. The March 29th will occur a partial solar eclipsevisible in some parts of the world, including Eastern Canada, Europe (also in Italy with the exception of Basilicata, Calabria, Sicily and part of Puglia) and north -western Africa. In this case The moon will find itself between the earth and the sunpartially obscuring the sun disk. As always, the observation must take place with adequate protections in order to avoid damage to the eyes. In the meantime we leave you below the fascinating video of the Virtual Telescope Project.
