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LONDON, U.K. – Is it a sign that the world is coming to an end? Or does it spell doom for some of the sun signs? Or will the century’s longest Blood Moon bring about certain significant changes to the world as we know it? Regardless of what you believe – the red lunary eclipse set to be witnessed across the world on July 27 is set to be a historic event.

For one, the Blood Moon will be visible to the naked eye and despite the cloudy forecast, it is something that the world’s ardent skywatchers have been preparing for, for months now. 

The longest lunar eclipse of the century will cause the moon to experience a rare phenomena, which will make it turn a deep shade of blood red.

So, what’s the big deal?

The most impressive eclipse of the last century (1901-2000) took place on July 16, 2000 and lasted for 1 hour 46.4 minutes.

What the world will witness tonight, will be the longest lunar eclipse of the 21st Century.

The celestial event will last for around 103 minutes – and will fall short by just four minutes from setting the epic record of becoming the longest lunar eclipse ever on planet Earth. 

Today’s total eclipse is set to last for 1 hour 43 minutes, with the partial eclipse visible for almost four hours.

Further, the moon is approaching its apogee, the furthest point away from us in its orbit.

Those watching avidly will be able to see the staggering celestial event unfold from 8:30pm BST (7:30pm UTC) as the white moon turns a deep red color, and this will end at 10:13 BST (9:13 pm UTC).

According to experts, the peak of the eclipse will occur at 9:21pm BST (8:22pm UTC).

Further, tonight, for the first time ever in the last 15 years – the planet Mars will appear bigger and brighter in the sky.

This phenomenon is known as perihelic opposition and will make the red planet appear larger and brighter than normal in the night sky.

The rare event occurs when Mars reaches its closest point to the sun as the same time as Earth’s orbit brings it directly between the two.

Mars will, tonight, outshine Jupiter, registering as 1.8 times brighter in the night sky.

Temporarily, Mars will become the fourth-brightest object in the sky, ranking after the sun, the moon and Venus.

And the planet will be up all night, rising after sunset and setting at sunrise.

How do I watch the one-night cosmic wonder?

People in large swathes of the Eastern hemisphere, specifically in the Europe, Asia, Africa, parts of Australasia and South America will be more vividly awed by the lunar show but the Blood Moon cannot be seen in the U.S., expect virtually. 

For stargazers in America, the moon will be hidden below the horizon through the entire eclipse and skygazers in South America will be able to see a small part of the final stages of the eclipse just after sunset tonight.

People in New Zealand will be able to watch the start of the eclipse before sunrise July 28 and those in specific parts of central Asia, mainly the Middle East and Eastern Africa will see the lunar eclipse in its entirety.

Experts have said that there would be no need for specialist equipment to view the phenomena and the moon can be seen with the naked eye from an open space where there is minimal light pollution. 

It will be perfectly safe to look directly at the lunar eclipse without any protective eyewear as unlike a solar eclipse, when the moon crosses in between the Earth and the sun, in a lunar eclipse, the Earth lines up directly between the sun and the moon.

When this happens, the Earth blocks the light from the sun to the moon and the Earth’s shadow then falls on the moon.

What we see during a lunar eclipse is the Earth’s shadow on the moon.

The last blood moon was observed on January 31, 2018 and it was also a supermoon, which means that the Earth’s natural satellite appeared 14 percent bigger and 30 percent brighter in the sky as it reached its closest point to Earth.

While the Earth witnesses at least two lunar eclipses every year, what makes the event historic is that the likelihood of these events overlapping is astronomical.

It is this combination of two rare events that has made tonight one of the most intriguing for stargazers in decades.

The NASA Goddard Space Flight Center has calculated lunar eclipse data and has said that the next total lunar eclipse falls on the night of January 21, 2019.

Why red? What’s the science behind it?

When the light from the sun passes through the Earth’s atmosphere, it will cast a red share over the moon.

Scientists explain that this is because of the way the rays of light bend around Earth, to reach the surface of the moon. 

This will cause a large amount of particulate matter in the atmosphere, and the rate of refraction will increase and shift light towards the red end of the spectrum.

Red light is the only one which has a wavelength long enough to bend around the Earth.

A report in MailOnline quoted Dr Mark Birkinshaw, a professor of Cosmology and Astrophysics at the University of Bristol as explaining that the phenomenon is the same reason the sun appears a dark shade of red when it sits low in the sky.

Dr Birkinshaw said, “The light that passes through the Earth’s atmosphere hits the Moon and then gets reflected back to us, and it will be red. Technically, the red light is less scattered by the atmosphere than the blue, so more of it gets through. From the Moon, the Earth would appear to totally-eclipse the Sun, and would show as a dark shadow with a bright red ring around it.”

Any prophecies… doomsday conspiracy theories? 

Doomsday preachers have incorrectly predicted the apocalypse every time there is a rare celestial event that is witnessed around the world. Why should this time be different? 

According to most end-of-days preachers, the Blood Moon will be the end of the world as we know it, but some predict a more morbid possibility of the “end of the world.”

The Blood Moon phenomenon has caused some Christian fundamentalists to denounce the celestial event as a harbinger of doom.

Even as astronomy fans are awaiting the spectacular ‘blood moon’ eclipse, which comes with the brilliant Martian vista just beneath it, doomsday conspiracy theorists are warning against being too thrilled about this once-in-a-lifetime sight.

Some Christian fundamentalists claim that the arrival of these twin events is a portent of doom.

Others have hailed the upcoming celestial phenomenon as a heavenly sign of the long-awaited Biblical apocalypse, as predicted by the Book of Joel, the Book of Acts and the Book of Revelation. 

Further, U.S. TV evangelist Paul Begley and many others believe the simultaneous appearance of a red moon and red planet mark the realization of prophesies made in the Bible.

One such prophecy reads, “The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and terrible day of the Lord come.”

Lucky strike V/s. Strike the luck

Meanwhile, astrologers claims that every zodiac sign will feel the impact of this Blood Moon.

Tonight’s Blood Moon is happening during the Leo season, which began on Thursday, July 26.

Astrologers claim that the occurance of a both a Blood Moon and the start of the Leo season means that regardless of your zodiac sign – this combination affects every single person in the world. 

Generally, the Leo season is defined by vibrance and joy, when people feel an unexpected boost in their self confidence and positivity – a season that gives you a spring in your step and a smile on your face. 

So when a total lunar eclipse and a blood moon occur during this season – it is expected to dim that glow, an impact that is predicted to last for months together.  

Astrostyle explained, “Leo is ruled by the proud and regal Sun, the center of our solar system. During Leo season, we may occasionally, um, forget that the world doesn’t revolve around us. Egos can run amok. Defending our ‘honor’ or ‘principles’ can start to sound a lot like bullying and bigotry.” 

Further, astrologists explain that lunar eclipses are essentially turbo-charged full moons and full moons tend to bring things to a head or to a close.

A potentially turbulent time lies ahead for the world – since the upbeat feelings from the Leo season will clash with the usual gloominess of the lunar eclipse.

When it comes to love, Cosmopolitan explained, “Finding romance and having sex is also easier during fun-loving and flirtatious Leo season, and both are abundant during this time of year. It’s easier to take risks, feel more playful, and be more genuine in your self-expression this time of year.” 

And while the Blood Moon will give rise to situations where people may raise questions about their relationships or partners, Leo energy will have them feeling flirtatious and playful. 

In a more serious and direct warning, Astrologer Jamie Partridge wrote in a post on Astrology King that the blood moon is “emotionally challenging,” stating that it could lead to “reckless actions” and “aggression and emotional problems.” 

Adding to that, Intuitive Astrology warns that this blood moon gives us the opportunity “to dig deep, and reach further to clear and let go of all that we no longer want to carry.”

It warns that people could end up feeling trapped between these two conflicting impulses.

Overall, almost every expert in the field is warning people to brace for a roller coaster ride as the summer ends.

Word of advise: Think before you speak. Both, the energy from the blood moon and the vibes from Leo season can cause people to say things that they might regret later. 

Stay wary of: An emotional outburst. It is likely to come back and haunt you.