This Friday, July 27, 2018, one of the most surprising astronomical phenomena of the year, a total lunar eclipse, can be enjoyed just by looking at the sky. We will be able to follow it from the balcony of your house, perhaps the rooftop, a park, or the beach. These are good options.
We can also choose, if we are in Barcelona, to go to CosmoCaixa where experts and amateurs will explain everything related to this astronomical phenomenon. We will be able to observe the Moon through telescopes and see the event projected on a large screen. The eclipse practically coincides with a very favorable Mars opposition (Mars and the Sun are located at opposite points in the sky), and the red planet will appear slightly thicker. With the right equipment, everything indicates that good photographic sequences of the entire event can be taken. An unbeatable situation.
The entry of the Moon's disk into the Earth's shadow cone will take place at 8:24 p.m. (civil time), with the Moon still below the horizon. The totality phase will take place between 9:30 p.m. and 11:12 p.m., and the partiality phase will extend until 0:19 a.m. on July 28.
Featured image: Phases of the lunar eclipse. Photo by Jake Hills