Here are the best times to view Friday's lunar eclipse

david nganga

July 26, 2018 5:54 PM

The eclipse will last for 103 minutes, making it the longest in the 21st century

Kenyans will join the rest of the world on Friday in witnessing the second total lunar eclipse of 2018.

The eclipse will be visible in large parts of Australia, Asia, Africa, Europe and South America for a period of 103 minutes, making it the longest eclipse of the 21st century.

Lunar eclipse can occur only during a full moon and this time round, the moon will be perfectly aligned with the Sun and Earth.

In Kenya, the eclipse will start at 10.30 pm with the skies expected to be the darkest at 11.21 pm — according to geographical website timeanddate.com. The global event will end on Saturday July 28, 2018 at around 2.28 a.m.

The site explains that penumbral lunar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes through Earth's penumbra.

Blood moon

The penumbra causes a subtle dimming of the lunar surface.

A special type of penumbral eclipse is a total penumbral lunar eclipse, during which the Moon lies exclusively within Earth's penumbra.

Total lunar eclipses are also sometimes called blood moons because of the reddish-orange glow the moon takes on during the eclipse.

Unlike a solar eclipse, a lunar eclipse is safe to watch with the naked eye as one is only looking at the moon at night.

This will be the first central lunar eclipse since June 15, 2011. Other incidences of central lunar eclipses will occur in January 2084, May 2087, September 2090, June 2094, and April 2099.

david nganga