Some Earthlings, including the early Swiss, will be able to witness a total lunar eclipse overnight from Sunday to Monday. An infrequent celestial spectacle during which the nocturnal star loses its brilliance and gradually turns red.
The eclipse will be visible from parts of the American, European and African continents between moonrise and moonset.
This phenomenon occurs about twice a year, when the Sun, Earth and Moon are perfectly aligned, and the Moon is in its full phase.
refraction process
The star slips into the shadow of the Earth, which then shields the sun’s rays, and gradually loses its white glow.
But it does not go out for all that: the Earth continues to send back to the Moon light from the Sun, via rays which take on a red tint by a process of “refraction of the atmosphere”, explains to AFP Florent Deleflie, from the Paris-PSL Observatory.
“During an eclipse, only the Earth can illuminate the Moon via this re-emission of red rays”, continues the astronomer.
>> The explanations of the American space agency (Nasa)
Visible with binoculars as with the naked eye, the phenomenon can give “spectacular photos” if the weather conditions are good.
5 hour eclipse
The eclipse will last about five hours, and its totality phase – when the star is completely in the Earth’s shadow – a little over an hour.
The eclipse will be visible entirely in South America, Central America and over an eastern part of North America.
Visible in Switzerland
In Switzerland, the phenomenon will begin around 3:30 a.m. and end at 5:50 a.m., but the eclipse will be total at the end of the night, around 5:37 a.m., according to estimates. Note that the Moon will set during this phase of totality, at the same time as the Sun will rise.
>> The evolution of the eclipse explained by the European Space Agency (ESA)
Note that the American Space Agency (NASA) offers a live video broadcast of the phenomenon from 05:00 Swiss time.
The next total lunar eclipse is scheduled for November 2022, in the middle of the Pacific. In Western Europe, the last one dates back to January 2019 and the next one will not take place until 2029.
ats/cab