July 2018 lunar eclipse

{{Short description|Central lunar eclipse on 27 July 2018}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2018}}

{{Infobox lunar eclipse

| type = total

| image = Lunar Total Eclipse on July 27, 2018 (100 2006) (43696968392) (cropped).jpg

| caption = Totality as viewed from Oria, Italy, 21:09 UTC

| date = July 27, 2018

| gamma = 0.1168

| magnitude = 1.6100

| saros_ser = 129

| saros_no = 38 of 71

| totality = 102 minutes, 57 seconds

| partiality = 234 minutes, 33 seconds

| penumbral = 373 minutes, 48 seconds

| p1 = 17:14:49

| u1 = 18:24:27

| u2 = 19:30:15

| greatest = 20:21:44

| u3 = 21:13:12

| u4 = 22:19:00

| p4 = 23:28:37

| previous = January 2018

| next = January 2019

}}

A total lunar eclipse occurred at the Moon’s descending node of orbit on Friday, July 27, 2018,{{cite web|title=July 27–28, 2018 Total Lunar Eclipse (Blood Moon)|url=https://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/lunar/2018-july-27|publisher=timeanddate|access-date=17 November 2024}} with an umbral magnitude of 1.6100. It was a central lunar eclipse, in which part of the Moon passed through the center of the Earth's shadow. A lunar eclipse occurs when the Moon moves into the Earth's shadow, causing the Moon to be darkened. A total lunar eclipse occurs when the Moon's near side entirely passes into the Earth's umbral shadow. Unlike a solar eclipse, which can only be viewed from a relatively small area of the world, a lunar eclipse may be viewed from anywhere on the night side of Earth. A total lunar eclipse can last up to nearly two hours, while a total solar eclipse lasts only a few minutes at any given place, because the Moon's shadow is smaller. Occurring about 19 hours after apogee (on July 27, 2018, at 1:45 UTC), the Moon's apparent diameter was smaller.{{cite web|title=Moon Distances for London, United Kingdom, England|url=https://www.timeanddate.com/astronomy/moon/distance.html?year=2018&n=136|publisher=timeanddate|access-date=17 November 2024}}

This was the first central lunar eclipse since June 15, 2011. It was also the longest total lunar eclipse of the 21st century, but not the longest in the 3rd millennium.{{cite web|url=http://earthsky.org/tonight/centurys-longest-lunar-eclipse-july-27|title=Century's Longest Lunar Eclipse July 27|first=Bruce|last=McClure|date=27 July 2018|website=EarthSky|access-date=27 July 2018}} Totality lasted one hour and 42.955 minutes,{{cite web|url=http://earth-chronicles.com/space/in-2018-the-longest-lunar-eclipse-will-take-place-in-100-years.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180127202555/https://earth-chronicles.com/space/in-2018-the-longest-lunar-eclipse-will-take-place-in-100-years.html|url-status=usurped|archive-date=27 January 2018|author=Space|title=In 2018 the longest lunar eclipse will take place in 100 years|date=29 December 2017|website=Earth Chronicles|access-date=27 July 2018}}{{cite news|url=https://www.vox.com/science-and-health/2018/7/27/17621694/watch-lunar-eclipse-july-2018-blood-moon-live-stream-start-time|first=Brian|last=Resnick|title=Watch: The longest 'blood moon' lunar eclipse of the century|work=Vox|date=27 July 2018|access-date=27 July 2018}}{{cite news|url=http://www.windermeresun.com/2018/07/27/centurys-longest-lunar-eclipse-blood-moon-2018-today-will-last-103-minutes/|title=Century's Longest Lunar Eclipse, Blood Moon 2018, Today, Will Last 103 Minutes|website=Windermere Sun|date=27 July 2018|first=Susan Sun|last=Nunamaker|access-date=27 July 2018}}{{cite web|url=http://tass.ru/kosmos/5405760|title=Два редких астрономических явления можно будет наблюдать 27 июля|website=TASS|language=Russian|date=27 July 2018|access-date=27 July 2018}} a period "just short of the theoretical limit of a lunar eclipse (one hour and 46.605 minutes)".{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/science/2018/jul/25/blood-moon-all-you-need-to-know-about-this-weeks-lunar-eclipse|title=Blood moon: All you need to know about this week's lunar eclipse|last=Lyons|first=Kate|date=27 July 2018|website=The Guardian|access-date=27 July 2018}} The Moon remained at least partially in Earth's shadow for three hours 54.55 minutes. The longest total lunar eclipse of the 3rd millennium will occur on May 12, 2264, lasting 106 minutes and 13.2 seconds, which will be the longest total lunar eclipse since 2000, and the longest one until 3107.

The eclipse occurred when the Moon was near its maximum distance from Earth, which caused the Moon to appear smaller than normal (a phenomenon sometimes called a micromoon),{{Cite web

|url=http://www.timeanddate.com/astronomy/moon/micro-moon.html

|title=What Is a Micromoon?|website=Timeanddate.com |date=n.d.

|publisher=Time and Date AS |location=Stavanger, Norway

|access-date=July 27, 2018}}{{cite web|url=https://www.businessinsider.sg/how-lunar-eclipses-work-earth-moon-red-shadow-2018-7/|title=The longest total lunar eclipse in a century is about to happen — here's how Earth will color the moon blood-red|first1=Dave|last1=Mosher|first2=Shayanne|last2=Gal|website=Business Insider|date=27 July 2018|access-date=27 July 2018}} and to travel at its slowest speed in its orbit around Earth.

This lunar eclipse coincided with Mars being nearly as close as possible to Earth, a concurrence that happens once every 25,000 years.