The longest lunar eclipse of the 21st century is set to happen Friday.
The July 27, 2018, lunar eclipse will put the moon fully in Earth’s shadow for 1 hour, 42 minutes, and 57 seconds. That’s almost as long as the longest lunar eclipse ever, which came in at an hour and 47 minutes.
What time does Friday’s lunar eclipse start?
The 2018 lunar eclipse begins 17:14 Universal time (or 1:14 p.m. E.T.)
Unfortunately, if you live in North America, you won’t be able to see the lunar eclipse in person. The eclipse is set to occur during North America’s daytime, but will be visible in Australia, Asia, Africa, Europe, South America, and the Middle East. In those countries, the moon will appear a deep copper red, because it will be reflecting the light from all the sunrises and sunsets happening around the globe.
The 2018 lunar eclipse will last 20 minutes longer than the last lunar eclipse, which occurred on January 31st and lasted 1 hour and 16 minutes. The next lunar eclipse will take place in January of next year and will last 1 hour and 2 minutes.
How to watch the 2018 lunar eclipse — even in North America
If you’re in North America and want to watch the lunar eclipse, you still can.
Watch Friday’s lunar eclipse live through Slooh’s online telescope starting at 1 p.m. Through 7:30 p.m. E.T., and the Virtual Telescope Project’s broadcast from the Palatine Hill in Rome starting at 2:30 p.m. E.T.
Here’s everything else you should know about the 2018 lunar eclipse, explained by the European Space Agency: