WASHINGTON – We may not be able to see Friday’s total lunar eclipse here in D.C., but you can take in the views from around the world via livestream.
The total lunar eclipse happens Friday afternoon (our time), and will last around one hour and 45 minutes. It won’t be visible in the U.S., but can be seen in parts of Africa, the Middle East, Europe, South America, Australia and Asia – depending on the weather.
A total lunar eclipse happens when the sun, Earth and moon are aligned, with Earth blocking the sun’s light from fully reaching the moon. The occurrence is sometimes called a “blood moon” because – according to a NASA blog – “the light passing through the Earth’s atmosphere and falling on the Moon can give it a reddish hue.”
Also in the celestial mix, Mars will be in opposition on Friday – meaning it and the sun will be on opposite sides of Earth on the same day as the total lunar eclipse. Next week on Tuesday, be on the lookout for Mars. It’s making its closest approach to Earth in 15 years, just 35.8 million miles away from us.
Watch a livestream above to see how the world is viewing the lunar eclipse as it gets underway.
NASA: Total Lunar Eclipse of 2018 by wtopweb on Scribd
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
