Tonight, June 15 will put an extraordinary show of astronomical red moon and the first total eclipse of the Moon in 2011, the longest of the last 10 years. The phenomenon underlines the Schiaparelli Observatory of Varese, will be followed worldwide and will be visible from Italy. The only phase of totality will last even one hundred minutes.
Taking as reference point, the city of Varese, the astronomers of the Observatory report that the moon will rise at 21:10 local and 21:22 to start the maximum phase of the eclipse, which will run until 23.03. The best moment of visibility will be at 22:13, with the Moon high about 9 degrees to the southeast, in the constellation Ophiuchus.

It will therefore be necessary to have the horizon southeast clear of natural or artificial obstacles to be able to observe. But for those who could not see it directly on the site of the magazine Scientific Focus.it the eclipse will be broadcast live on the web starting at 21.30. Through the site you will be able to see pictures of the cameras positioned on the telescope of the observatory of Ca Del Monte (Pavia), which will be commented by experts of the Centre.
But why the moon turns red? To explain the experts: the phenomenon is due to the fact that our planet comes between the sun and its magical satellite, to prevent certain frequencies of sunlight to pass through the Earth's atmosphere. It so happens that they can go to the moon and only the lower ones, corresponding precisely to the color red. Hence the unprecedented spectacle that gives us the sky.

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