science

Eclipse 2019: Why the UK will not see another Blood Moon eclipse for THREE YEARS


The total lunar transformed the Full Moon’s face into a glowing disc of red on the morning of Monday, January 21. On the night of the Blood Moon, just before 5am GMT, the lunar orb passed near the centre of Earth’s darkest shadow where it briefly vanished from sight. A peculiar trick of light, however, resulted in refracted and scattered sunlight bating the Moon in red wavelengths of light. The resulting Blood Moon passed over the UK, parts of Europe and over North and South America in the wee morning hours.

After spending a grand total of 62 minutes in totality, the left the Earth’s shadow and reappeared in the Sun’s direct light.

UK-based stargazers whose views were spoiled by poor weather or missed the event entirely will now have to sit tight for three years.

The next total eclipse of the Moon will not pass over this part of the world for the next three years.

According to Tom Kerss, astronomer at Royal Observatory Greenwich, the next Blood Moon will peak on the morning of May 16, 2022.

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Eclipse 2019: Blood Moon lunar eclipse

Eclipse 2019: The next Blood Moon over the UK will appear in 2022 (Image: GETTY)

The eclipse will be largely visible from Europe, Africa and North and South America.

The 2022 eclipse will be preceded by another total eclipse on May 26, 2021, but it will not be visible from the UK.

Mr Kerss told Express.co.uk: “That will give us some visibility, essentially, it will be a setting eclipse for us so it will be an evening event as the Moon is going down.

“The one in 2021, unfortunately, is not going to be widely seen because it favours the South Pacific, which is always a difficult part of the world for an eclipse to land on because you have Australia and New Zealand and that’s about it.

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“There’s no one else who really gets the full visible eclipse all across the night but it will also be seen in East Asia, the United States and South America will get good visibility on that one as well.

“But yes, it will be May 2022 until we have to wait for the next one.”

And according to the astronomer, it is perfectly normal for such long periods of time to occur in-between lunar eclipses.

Mr Kerss said it all comes down to the particular eclipse cycle you are going through.

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All lunar and solar eclipses are tied to cycles with different periods to them, some of which are completely devoid of total eclipses visible for years at a time.

Between now and 2021, for instance, there will be no total eclipses whatsoever.

Instead, there will be four minor penumbral eclipses in 2020, which will most likely remain unnoticed to all but the most eagle-eyed observer.

Mr Kerss said: “It is not that unusual but it just feels like a barren time for eclipses at the moment and I think that will be because it’s a mixture of total lunar eclipses and partial eclipses that we’re missing out on.

Eclipse 2019: Blood Moon total eclipse over UK

Eclipse 2019: In 2020 there will be no partial or total eclipses at all (Image: GETTY)

“So there’s tonnes of penumbral eclipses coming up – four coming up next year, all in one year, but no partial or total ones that whole year.

“So it feels like it’s a long time and obviously it doesn’t help when the eclipse in 2021 is falling mostly over the ocean.

“Then there is a partial eclipse but that eclipse is just barely visible from the UK in November 2021, so it feels like a long time but it’s not that unusual.”

Your best bet to see another spectacular eclipse is the upcoming partial eclipse of the Moon on July 16, 2019.

Eclipse 2019: Blood Moon total lunar eclipse

Eclipse 2019: A partial eclipse of the Moon will be visible on July 16 in the southeast skies (Image: GETTY)

The eclipse will be a so-called partial rising eclipse, meaning it will occur with the rising Moon just minutes after sunrise.

The partial eclipse will be visible low in the sky, about eight degrees above the horizon when viewed from London, and will cover more than half of the Moon.

Mr Kerss said image your outstretched arm and fist reaching out for the horizon. The eclipses Moon will hang roughly just above your knuckles.

The astronomer said: “You will be able to see the partial eclipse with some red colour probably until about 11.30pm, when it gets challenging to see the red colour.

“By this time the Moon will be 13 or 14-degrees above the horizon, so it’s a bit more forgiving for those who have hazy skies or lots of obstructions.”



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