From 22:00 on July 16 will begin the partial eclipse of the moon: here are the start and end time and how to do to follow it better
Exactly 50 years after the departure of the Apollo 11 mission that brought for the first time man on the moon, today July 16, 2019 there will be a partial eclipse of the moon that can be seen with the naked eye from any area of Italy. This is the most important astronomical phenomenon of the year as far as the Bel Paese is concerned (at the beginning of the month there was a solar eclipse visible only in some areas of the World).
The lunar eclipse will not be total: the Earth with its shadow will obscure between 55 and 70% of the surface of the satellite, creating a very special effect called "blood moon". Thanks to the effect of the eclipse, in fact, the moon will change color and become red, but only for a few hours. The moon will enter the cone of penumbra of the Earth at 20:44, with the peak that will be reached at 23:30. The event is expected to end around 2:17 a.m. If you don't have the chance to see the 2019 lunar eclipse with the naked eye, the event will be streamed by the main European astrophysics institutes: here's how to do it.
What time to see the July 2019 lunar eclipse
The astronomical event will start at 8:44 p.m., but to see the first effects on the moon you will have to wait until 10 p.m. The eclipse will begin in the evening of July 16 and end in the night of July 17: it will be five hours to spend with the nose up to follow all the phases.
The peak of the eclipse with 55-70% of the lunar surface obscured will occur at 23:30, and then continue until 2:17, when the astronomical event will be over.
During the lunar eclipse, the color of the moon will change: from the classic yellowish will turn to a bright red, so that astronomers have renamed this phenomenon "blood moon".
How to see the lunar eclipse 2019
To see the lunar eclipse there is no need for any special protection: it can be seen safely with the naked eye. To best admire the astronomical event, we recommend that you position yourself on a slightly elevated clearing without any artificial light nearby. Logically, there should be no clouds either, but the weather should be clement.
How to follow the lunar eclipse streaming
If you can't watch the 2019 lunar eclipse with your own eyes because you are busy with some special event, you can follow it by streaming. Some astronomy institutes will broadcast live on their websites all phases of the lunar eclipse, from the beginning to the end. We recommend you to connect with the site of the Royal Museums Greenwich or with the portal of the Virtual Telescope Project that will make the live broadcast from Rome.