The Longest Lunar Eclipse in a Century Will Dazzle Most of the World – But Not the U.S. – This July

If you live in the U.S., we’ve got some pretty annoying news. The longest total lunar eclipse in the entire century is set to happen this month, but unfortunately, our country isn’t in proper viewing for it.

The eclipse will occur on Friday, July 27, and is supposed to last four hours, with the totality of it (which is when the earth’s shadow covers the moon and creates complete darkness) will last an entire one hour and 43 minutes. This will be the first central lunar eclipse since June 15, 2011, and the second total lunar eclipse in 2018 (the last one being January 31, 2018).

If you don’t know what a lunar eclipse is, it’s basically a really cool and fascinating moment in which the moon passes directly behind earth, which causes the earth to cast a shadow over the moon. Because of this, the moon appears to be a reddish hue.

It’s pretty cool to watch, especially since it’s so rare. A minimum of two (and as many as five) lunar eclipses occur each year, however total lunar eclipses are much less common.

So who’s in the best location for prime viewing for this upcoming long one in July? The eclipse will be visible from areas in Europe, Asia, Australia, Africa, South America and the Middle East. In fact, areas in eastern Africa, the Middle East and some parts of Europe and Asia will have some of the best views of the moon turning red and when the totality begins to fade. So start booking your flights to these countries now if you want to see it!

All right, so we’re a little jealous of the rest of the world, but it makes sense. Solar eclipses are usually only seen by a small portion of the world because the shadow being cast by the moon is much smaller than the shadow being cast by the earth. Thus, the areas in which it’s nighttime when a lunar eclipse is happening are the ones who are going to be able to see it.

The reason that this one is set to last such a long time is because the moon will be at its furthest point from earth during the eclipse, causing the moon to move slower than it would if it was closer to earth, causing the totality of the eclipse to last for that hour and 43 minutes. P.S., that’s only four minutes shorter than the longest possible lunar eclipse to ever occur on earth, according to NASA.

If you’re in a country with prime viewing of the eclipse, experts recommend viewing the sky at different points during the eclipse—for example, when earth’s shadow starts to block the moon, when the moon turns red, and when the shadow begins to recede.

Those who will be able to see it may actually also see a view of Mars and the Milky Way to the left of the moon. Pretty cool, huh?

It’s too bad the eclipse won’t be bale to dazzle us in America, but hey, it’s still really neat! Have you ever seen a lunar eclipse before? Are you a fan of lunar eclipses? Are you going to be able to view this one on July 27?