Vietnam has more than 5 hours to observe the total lunar eclipse

The total lunar eclipse that occurred on the night of July 27 is one of two total lunar eclipses that occurred this year and is one of the most anticipated astronomical events of 2018. The previous one occurred on the night of January 31, 2018 in a very rare astronomical event: a blue moon, a supermoon, and a total lunar eclipse occurring at the same time.

A total lunar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes into the Earth's shadow and is completely obscured. When viewed from Earth, the Moon will appear dark red, so this phenomenon is also known as a "blood moon".

This lunar eclipse can be observed from a large area including Europe, Africa, the Indian Ocean, parts of Asia and Australia. Vietnam can observe most of the event.

According to Vietnam time, the lunar eclipse begins at 00:14 and ends at 6:28 on the night of July 27 and early morning of July 28.

The penumbral lunar eclipse (the Earth's shadow begins to cover the Moon's surface) begins at 00:14, and at 1:14 a.m., a partial lunar eclipse (the Moon begins to be obscured and turns red) begins. At 2:30 a.m., a total lunar eclipse (the Moon turns blood red) begins and reaches its peak at 3:12 a.m. At 4:13 a.m., the total lunar eclipse ends, then transitions to a partial lunar eclipse, a penumbral lunar eclipse, and ends completely at 6:28 a.m. on July 28.

In Vietnam, the Moon sets at around 5:35 a.m. So we can observe almost the entire total lunar eclipse this time.

Compared to a total solar eclipse, a total lunar eclipse is easier to see. However, Vietnamese astronomy enthusiasts will have to wait nearly 3 years, in May 2021, to observe this phenomenon again.

Unlike a solar eclipse (which can only be observed through a specialized telescope or indirectly), a lunar eclipse can be observed directly with the naked eye. The ideal viewing location is a quiet, cool place with little light and air pollution. Note, check the weather forecast before observing.