What time is the lunar eclipse 2018?

Remember the Lunar Eclipse of 2018? What a Show!

Back in July 2018, those of us who love looking up were treated to something special: a total lunar eclipse. You know, that awesome event where the Earth plays shadow puppet, sliding right between the Sun and the Moon. And let me tell you, this one was a doozy! It wasn’t just any eclipse; it was a seriously long one.

Where Could You See It?

A huge chunk of the world got a front-row seat – think Australia, big parts of Asia, Africa, Europe, and even South America. Sadly, if you were in Omaha, you were out of luck. The peak of the whole thing happened around 4:21 p.m. EDT (that’s 20:21 GMT) on July 27th. So, if you were on the East Coast, the Moon was playing peek-a-boo with Earth’s shadow from about 1:14 p.m. to 7:28 p.m. ET.

Hello, Blood Moon!

But the real magic was the totality – that’s when the Moon goes full-on “Blood Moon,” turning this eerie, reddish color. This part lasted from 3:30 p.m. to 5:13 p.m. ET. Seriously, it hung there, red and mysterious, for a whopping 103 minutes! That made it the longest lunar eclipse we’ve seen so far this century. Can you believe it? It was only a measly four minutes away from being the absolute longest possible.

So, Why Was It So Long, Anyway?

What made this eclipse such a marathon? Well, the Moon basically cruised right through the heart of Earth’s shadow. When that happens, you’re pretty much guaranteed a long show. It’s like hitting the bullseye of shadows!

Bonus Celestial Goodies!

And get this – Mars was hanging out nearby, too, looking extra big and bright. It was practically photobombing the Moon! At the time, the Red Planet was only about 35.9 million miles away. A cosmic double feature!

When’s the Next One?

Missed the 2018 show? Don’t worry! Japan got another total lunar eclipse on November 8, 2022. Keep your eyes peeled for future celestial events – you never know what wonders await!