Lunar eclipse August 7 blood moon. The best photos of a lunar eclipse from different parts of the globe

On the evening of August 7, from approximately 20.24 to 22.19 Moscow time, almost all residents of Russia (except for residents of Chukotka and Kamchatka) will be able to observe a partial lunar eclipse. The shadow from the Earth will cover the Moon for some time. This is a fairly frequent show in the celestial “shadow theater” - from 2 to 5 such astronomical events occur per year. This year, a similar phenomenon (partial eclipse) could already be observed on February 11. Many myths and fables are born around lunar eclipses. Let's try to sort out the most interesting of them.

WHY IS THE MOON RED?

During eclipses, our celestial companion changes its usual yellow, to blood red tones. This happens because the Moon, even during total eclipse continues to be illuminated sun rays that pass through the Earth's atmosphere. Wherein sunlight scattered in the atmosphere, but even in such a scattered form still partially reaches the surface of the Moon. The atmosphere acts as a kind of filter: rays of the red-orange part of the spectrum pass through it best. And it is the rays of this range that, when reaching the Moon, paint its surface in crimson-red tones. By the way, thanks to this effect of the light filter of our atmosphere, we can enjoy the scarlet dawn in the mornings or the orange-red sunset in the evenings.

DOES AN ECLIPSE REALLY HARNESS TROUBLE?

The red moon really looks ominous. But this illumination does not have any real impact on nature. Apart from the impact on fragile minds. Christopher Columbus took advantage of the properties of a lunar eclipse to terrify savages ignorant of astronomy during his fourth expedition to America. The Spaniards spent a year in Jamaica, where local Indians supplied them with food and water. Over time, relations with the natives deteriorated and the expedition faced the threat of starvation.

Then Columbus came up with an ingenious way to solve the problem. Having learned from the tables of the German astronomer Johann Muller that there would be a lunar eclipse on February 29, 1504, he invited Indian leaders for negotiations on that day. When the natives again refused to help, Christopher said that he would ask the gods to punish the Indians. In response to incredulous grins, the navigator assured that the leaders would now be presented with unequivocal proof of the impending heavenly punishment. As soon as the Moon began to turn red, Columbus retired to the cabin and listened with pleasure to the screams of the frightened caciques, who were on their knees begging for forgiveness. After waiting for the end of the eclipse (it lasted 45 minutes), Columbus came out to the public and canceled the “end of the world.” Co next day The Spaniards never refused anything from the local aborigines. They became convinced that the pale-faced bearded men knew how to control the will of the gods.

DO IMPORTANT HISTORICAL EVENTS OFTEN OCCUR DURING eclipses?

Various kinds of astronomical events are indeed very often mentioned in historical sources. For example, the Novgorod Chronicles record 44 descriptions of celestial phenomena (in particular, 7 lunar eclipses are mentioned) in 104 different messages. This difference in numbers is explained by the fact that the same event (for example, the appearance of Halley's comet in 1066) was recorded in all four Novgorod chronicles. It must be said that unusual natural phenomena were of great interest to chroniclers. This is the second most common group of topics that chronicles describe. The priority, of course, was the military and political events- 56.8 percent of all entries concerned precisely these subjects. But thematic group“Signs, unusual natural phenomena, disasters” consistently ranked second in mention. On the one hand, these events were chronological markers; it was convenient to count time from them. On the other hand, people in those days attached special importance to such signs. So from the monument of ancient Russian literature “The Tale of Igor’s Campaign” we know that the solar eclipse on May 1, 1185 was regarded by Prince Igor as a harbinger of great trouble. The bad omen came true, the Polovtsy defeated Russian army, and the prince himself was captured.

Residents of Russia will see the "Bloody Moon" on August 7 Photo: Nail VALIULIN

A lunar eclipse was also perceived as a fatal signal. A typical episode is described by the ancient Greek historian Thucydides, the author of chronicles about the Peloponnesian War. The lunar eclipse occurred during the Sicilian expedition, during which the Athenians tried to capture Syracuse, the birthplace of Archimedes. Athenians after unsuccessful trip were planning to evacuate the island. However, a lunar eclipse and the appearance of a blood moon forced them to change their plans. The Athenian commander named Nicias, being superstitious person, decided that the gods were against their retreat. The army was slow to set sail and as a result was defeated, and Nicias himself was executed. So a “D” in your diary is not the worst punishment for poor knowledge of astronomy. And historians, thanks to the special attention of chroniclers to lunar and solar eclipses, the appearance of comets and other astronomical phenomena, can accurately determine the date of certain historical incidents.

BY THE WAY

How and where to watch the Blood Moon in Moscow

This coming Monday evening, the moon will resemble a burgundy disk. This was reported to “KP” at the Moscow Planetarium. And this is connected with a partial eclipse, which will occur at 20.24 and last until 22.19 (maximum phase at 21.20). A quarter of the celestial disk will be in the northern part of the earth's shadow. You can see this in a professional telescope at the Moscow Planetarium at the Barrikadnaya metro station. And at the same time ask astronomers about the nature of the phenomenon

1 998

It will be possible to observe this astronomical phenomenon from the territory of most settlements Russia. Only the residents are unlucky Far East. But the eclipse will be visible to residents of Australia, Africa, Asia and Europe, as well as polar explorers and penguins from Antarctica. It will start at 21:20 Moscow time and will last for 1 hour and 55 minutes.

The moon will go into shadow on August 7th. As you know, the Earth’s satellite shines not with its own light, but with reflected light. When our planet blocks the sun's rays, a shadow falls on the surface of the moon. This time it will cover only part of the satellite, which is why such eclipses are called partial.

Even our ancient ancestors looked at the Moon with respect and caution. At the same time, not only the moment of the eclipse itself was considered important, but also the three days preceding it, as well as the three days after the event itself.

Video: wikipedia.org

One of ancient signs encourages you to avoid financial transactions at this time: do not give or borrow. This rule probably applies to loans as well. However, it is unclear whether it is possible, for example, to pay for purchases in stores credit card. It’s probably better to hold off on this too.

Modern astrologers are no less categorical. During these six days, people will become more irritable and vulnerable. The slightest dissatisfaction or reproach can lead to a serious, painful quarrel. Scandals are fraught with nervous breakdowns. The boss will be more picky, and the children will be even more capricious than usual. The moon will provoke disputes, but the truth is unlikely to be born in them. A week from now, you're unlikely to remember why standing up for your reasons against all odds seemed so important a few days ago. But by that time, the relationship with another person may already be irrevocably damaged. So restraint in coming days definitely won't hurt.

Photo: jeffersonstateproducts.com

At risk are people prone to emotional instability and mental disorders. Communication with them should be avoided if possible. But if these are family and friends from whom you can’t hide, then you shouldn’t turn on newscasts or thrillers for them at night.

Video: ren.tv

A few more tips concern potentially dangerous situations. For example, if possible, you should avoid driving a car, yacht, airplane or manned spaceship. It has long been known that stress provokes road accidents. So, if you really have to get behind the wheel, you need to try to calm down and turn on relaxing music.

Particular caution should be exercised by pregnant women and people with hypertension.

Representatives of alternative medicine are confident that meditation and contrast showers will help cope with negative factors. Moreover, men need to start and end with cold water, and for women - with hot. The exact temperature is usually not indicated.

Photo: mindfulyourownbusiness.com

And many are also sure that it is during the lunar eclipse that you can forever change your life for the better. It is recommended to postpone new beginnings, but there is a good chance to part with old ones bad habits. Alcoholics, drug addicts and gambling addicts will suddenly have additional internal resources to fight. You can also put an end to harmful psychological dependencies and unhealthy attachments.

In general, doctors and scientists are not inclined to exaggerate the impact of lunar eclipses on humans. So the vast majority of people most likely will not even notice that anything unusual was happening in the sky. However, vigilance certainly won’t hurt.

Alexander Sablin

Why do lunar eclipses occur? The reason of that mysterious phenomenon is actually simple and lies in the continuous movement of the planets. IN certain moments One planet is eclipsed by the shadow of another.

In the case under consideration, the Earth covers the Moon with its shadow, that is, the satellite completely enters the shadow of our planet. What’s interesting: a lunar eclipse cannot be observed by all the inhabitants of the Earth at once, but only by half of them, where the Moon rises above the horizon during the eclipse.

Why do we see the Moon? Its surface reflects sunlight, and therefore the inhabitants of our planet can admire its yellow “companion”. However, during an eclipse, the Moon does not simply disappear (as, for example, happens during a solar eclipse), it acquires a bright brown color. People who do not know this may not even understand that they are observing an interesting and rather rare phenomenon.

This color (red) is explained by the following: even being in the shadow of the Earth, the Moon still continues to be illuminated by the sun's rays passing tangentially to the surface of our planet. These rays are scattered in our atmosphere, and due to this they reach the surface of the Moon. Moreover, the red color of our usually yellow companion is due to the fact that earth's atmosphere It transmits the red part of the spectrum much better.

What are lunar eclipses?

Lunar eclipses can be penumbral (also called partial) and total.

When full, the satellite enters entirely into the Earth's shadow and turns red. This is the most beautiful and large-scale lunar eclipse. The impact on a person is maximum.

When the Moon enters the shadow of our mother planet not completely, but partially, then a partial, or penumbral, eclipse occurs.

During a partial eclipse, the Moon does not completely change its color. Sometimes such a phenomenon is not even visible to the naked eye, and it can only be recorded with the help of special devices.

Interesting fact: Lunar eclipses are very rarely the same in terms of the movement of the planets in their orbits. It turns out that a complete repetition of the same relative position Earth, Moon and Sun can happen only after 18 years! This period is called Saros. Its beginning and end are considered extremely important for esotericists and astrologers. But more on this a little later.

Lunar eclipse - impact on humans. Who is at risk?

It would be foolish to deny any impact of lunar eclipses on people. This is the same as not recognizing the influence of solar flares or magnetic storms on us. We are part of all life on Earth, and fully belong to nature, like everything else.

Our “yellow companion,” having a colossal influence on the Earth (just remember the ebb and flow of the tides, which she controls), has a powerful impact on people.

Most of all, during lunar eclipses you need to be on guard:

• Hypertension and people with diseases of cardio-vascular system.
  They need to exclude any physical exercise, it is advisable not to go outside.
• People with mental illnesses and those prone to such illnesses.
  Esotericists and astrologers call lunar eclipses “eclipses of the soul.” They are confident that at this time the subconscious area wins over the conscious. That is why people experience all the events of their lives to a much greater extent, they become aggressive and emotional.
• People who have previously been hypnotized. During the period of lunar eclipses, the likelihood of exposure to any negative memories and emotions becomes much higher.

Proven scientific fact: During eclipses, the number of suicides increases. With statistics like these, there's a lot to think about. It turns out that this lunar eclipse is so insidious and difficult. The impact of this on a person natural phenomenon has not yet been fully studied, but, as they say, forewarned is forearmed.

Impact of the eclipse on women

Even ancient people argued that the Sun is a male planet, and the Moon is female. And in our time, mystics and esotericists say the same thing. So what effect does a lunar eclipse have on women?

First, they should reduce their physical activity. This is especially true for pregnant women. The dangers for them are miscarriages, dangerous or unsuccessful births, leading to various complications. Maximum peace is the main rule.

Secondly, do not be surprised if a woman’s menstrual cycle may be disrupted. This is due to the fact that from a physiological point of view, the full moon (and an eclipse occurs only on a full moon) is the phase of egg maturation. Do you know that all marine inhabitants (from fish to shellfish) fertilize and lay eggs only during the full moon? It's incredible, but true. So a woman’s body is to some extent dependent on the phase of the moon. And during a period such as a lunar eclipse, this impact intensifies several times. Hence the hormonal imbalance.

What about babies?

It turns out that they are exposed to the influence of the Earth's satellite even before birth. While in the womb, the embryo feels vibrations from space transmitted by nerve impulses. During the eclipse, the fetus may actively kick and behave excitedly.

Children experience a lunar eclipse much more acutely than adults. They may refuse to eat and become more moody and whiny. It is difficult to put them to sleep and calm them down. Do not leave children with strangers, they should be surrounded only by their relatives.

It is believed that during lunar eclipses the risk of poisoning and intoxication is several times higher than in normal times. Therefore, insect poison can cause much more harm. In this regard, protect children from mosquito and bee bites.

Follow us