Lunar eclipse will be visible from Brazil in the early morning.
In practice, planet Earth is positioned exactly between the Sun and the Moon. Therefore, it prevents sunlight from directly reaching the lunar surface.
Sayonara Moreno - Reporter for Rádio Nacional
In the early hours of tomorrow morning, another astronomical phenomenon can be seen in our sky: a total lunar eclipse. In practice, the Earth is positioned exactly between the Sun and the Moon, preventing sunlight from directly reaching the lunar surface. But despite the lack of direct light, the Moon will not disappear completely. It will be seen in a reddish color. For this reason, the event is also known as a Blood Moon.
Astronomer Josina Nascimento from the National Observatory explains that this name is not scientific and the shade may vary.
"It's reflecting the light that's being reflected in Earth's atmosphere. There's a part of Earth reflecting light towards the moon. When that light passes through Earth's atmosphere, which contains gases, water droplets, dust particles, even volcanic ash, only the longer wavelength light is reflected to the moon. And the exact hue it will have will depend on understanding the state of Earth's atmosphere."
Astronomy enthusiasts will be able to view the blood moon in both North and South America without needing equipment like a telescope. They also won't need to shield their eyes as they would during a solar eclipse.
To see the phenomenon more clearly, it's best to move away from brightly lit areas, opting for rural zones or areas far from the city. Josina Nascimento explains that there are more eclipses predicted for this month.
"For every lunar eclipse, there's a solar eclipse that has happened or will happen nearby. The pairing with this lunar eclipse, from March 13th to 14th, is the next new moon, which is on March 29th. It will be a partial solar eclipse that will only be visible in the high latitudes of the Arctic, right? It won't be visible here for us."
The Earth's shadow on the moon begins at 3 minutes to 1 am this Friday (13) in Brazil time. With the movement of our planet and the natural satellite, the shadow will increase throughout the night and everything ends at 4:30 am.
But the total eclipse, when the moon is in the Earth's shadow, the so-called Umbra, begins around 3:30 am on Friday and should last about 1 hour. The astronomer also points out that visibility will also depend on the weather and cloud cover. And those who cannot get a good view can follow the live broadcast of the phenomenon on the National Observatory's YouTube channel.
