Why does lunar eclipse last longer than solar?

From the earth’s surface, a lunar eclipse seems to last longer than solar: and that has a reason . The phenomenon, which has happened twice in 2025 and will still be visible once again, has differences depending on the positioning of the stars .

THE CNN the astrophysicist of the National Observatory Ricardo Ogando, explained why the difference in the duration of each eclipse and what are the ways to see the event longer.

Why is the duration different?

It is the fault of the difference in size between the three stars involved in the phenomenon: the sun, the moon and the earth.

During a lunar eclipse, the natural satellite is in front of our planet and interferes with sunlight that is reaching the surface – creating a shadow and leaving the sky dark.

“The earth is larger than the moon, so it takes longer to cross the shadow of our planet during the lunar eclipse,” he explained.

The solar phenomenon seems to be faster because it happens when our natural satellite is between the earth and the sun and blocks the light that comes to us. But since it is smaller than our planet, the darkness lasts less for observers.

How to watch longer?

According to the astrophysicist of the National Observatory, there are ways to circumvent the duration of the event.

“It is possible to use a very high speed plane to try to travel along the moon shadow and increase the duration of the eclipse, so the phenomenon can be observed longer,” he said.

An example is that of the supersonic plane agreement that in 1973, made the longest observation of a total eclipse ever recorded. He flew over Africa and managed to accompany the shadow for more than an hour.

In addition, live broadcast technology can also help extend the event.

“The National Observatory organized a group of observers along the shadow of the moon, transmitting to a live on YouTube, turning an event of a few minutes into one of several hours,” he said.

But what is the difference between solar and lunar eclipse?

A solar eclipse occurs when the moon is positioned between the sun and the earth, preventing light from reaching some points on our planet.

According to information from NASA, partial solar eclipses – where the moon does not completely cover the sun – occur at least twice a year somewhere on the earth.

Lunar eclipses are those in which the earth is between the sun and the moon, with this positioned in the earth’s shadow. For this to happen, the moon must be in its full phase.

Remember: “Blood Moon” is observed throughout Brazil

Will it have eclipse in 2025? See calendar of phenomena

This content was originally published in why the lunar eclipse lasts longer than Solar? on the CNN Brazil website.

Source: CNN Brasil

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