Whether or not there is life in space has always been a question of all people. Whether you believe in green beings that inhabit other planets out there in space or not, you cannot question one thing: the beauty of the universe and the phenomena it has.
Every year, thousands of astronomical events take place, such as moon phases, meteor showers, eclipses, occultations, oppositions, conjunctions and other interesting events. Some events that happen can be seen with the naked eye, others just with the help of telescopes.
Last year made us stay at home. But that’s not to say that everyone got to see the various astronomical events that took place in 2020. But that’s fine. Because every year we are always awarded at least some of them.
Phenomena
According to the astronomical calendar, 2021 will be marked by eclipses, super moons and meteor showers. An example of this are the phenomena that will take place this Wednesday, May 26th. It will be possible to see two simultaneous phenomena in the sky: a total lunar eclipse and the largest supermoon of 2021.
Eclipses happen when the sun and moon are on exactly opposite sides of our planet. And when alignment takes place, the Earth prevents some of the sunlight from reaching the moon.
In addition, the Earth’s atmosphere also filters light and gives the moon a reddish hue. That’s why the phenomenon is called by some people the “blood moon”.
A supermoon is the name given to the new and full moons that occur in the perigee, which is the point in the lunar orbit closest to Earth. During this period, our natural satellite is 363,000 kilometers away from us. Precisely because he is more childbirth, the moon seems bigger and brighter than his normal one.
This supermoon will be the second this year. The first took place on April 26 when the natural satellite was 157 kilometers further away than it is now. According to NASA, supermoons and eclipses are different phenomena and don’t always happen at the same time. “This month brings an excellent opportunity to enjoy the view,” said the agency’s website.
Where will it be visible
Of course, whenever an astronomical event, which can be observed with the naked eye, happens we want to know if it will be possible to see it from our country. In this case, the total eclipse of the moon cannot be seen from Brazil. However, in most of the national territory you will be able to see a partial or penumbral eclipse. But the “moon of blood” can be seen anywhere.
This eclipse will last 15 minutes and be visible in part of South America and off the coast of North America. In some parts of Central America and western South America it will be partially visible.
In Brazil, among the capitals where this partial eclipse can be observed are: Manaus, Campo Grande, Curitiba and Porto Alegre. And in most parts of the country you’ll only be able to see a penumbral eclipse, which won’t obscure the moon, but will make it darker than normal. Among the capitals that will be able to see the penumbral eclipse are: Belém, Brasília, Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo.