A total eclipse of the Moon will be visible with the naked eye throughout South Africa on Friday night.
According to the Astronomshadow ical Society of Southern Africa (Assa)‚ it will be the longest lunar eclipse this century.
It will last from 8.24pm to just after midnight.
The Moon will start changing shape when it enters the of Earth at 8.24pm before it is fully eclipsed from 9.30pm to 11.13pm.
The Moon will be faintly lit by light that is refracted from the Earth’s atmosphere, which gives it a pale reddish colour.
“Near the eclipsed ‘blood Moon’ on Friday will be the ‘red planet’ Mars,” Assa said.
“The red planet will shine at its brightest since 2003 – our planet is overtaking Mars next week‚" the society said.
The eclipse will also be visible to most parts of Africa‚ Europe‚ the Middle East and eastern Asia.
If you miss the lunar show on Friday night‚ you will have to wait until May 16 2022 to see the next eclipse.
-TimesLIVE
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