00:00Los eclipses lunares totales son uno de los espectáculos más impresionantes del cielo
00:06y ocurren más seguido de lo que crees.
00:09Este siglo serán visibles 85, desde distintas partes del mundo,
00:14aproximadamente cada 2.5 años.
00:17Durante estos eventos, la luna puede teñirse de un misterioso tono rojizo
00:21conocido como luna de sangre.
00:25¿Qué causa este fenómeno?
00:26Francisco Andolz de la NASA nos explica.
00:30A total lunar eclipse is a cosmic extravaganza.
00:33But what exactly happens during this astronomical event?
00:37The Earth, the Moon, and the Sun are aligned in such a way
00:40that the Earth's shadow completely covers the Moon.
00:44During a total lunar eclipse,
00:46sunlight passes through the filter of the Earth's atmosphere
00:48before reaching the Moon,
00:51tinting it a reddish color.
00:52This reddish color is because at that moment,
00:54the Moon is passing through the center of the Earth's shadow.
00:57All of Earth's sunsets and sunrises
01:00are reflected off the lunar surface at that time,
01:02which is why the Moon, as it passes through the shadow,
01:05turns such a spectacular reddish color.
01:09Light travels at different wavelengths.
01:11Our atmosphere scatters blue light,
01:13but red, orange, and yellow light,
01:15which have longer wavelengths,
01:18surpass through the Earth's atmosphere,
01:19making the Moon appear red from Earth.
01:22The more dust or clouds there are in the atmosphere,
01:25the redder the Moon will appear.
01:27One of the special things about it
01:29is that people around the world who can see it
01:31will be sharing those sunsets,
01:34those sunrises, in a single instant.
01:37In addition to providing us with a natural spectacle,
01:41an eclipse is a great opportunity for science.
01:44NASA studies the Moon in many ways,
01:46one of which is through NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter,
01:49or LRO,
01:50which has been observing our satellite non-stop.
01:53Since 2009, we've observed the surface.
01:57We've seen how temperatures change on the Moon.
02:00We've detected where mineral deposits are,
02:03and possible water deposits are,
02:06and we've also detected radiation,
02:08and we've also detected...
02:09The LRO team has taken advantage of these types of events
02:13to learn more about various components of our satellite,
02:16for example, its surface.
02:19But during an eclipse,
02:20the Moon is absorbed into the Earth's shadow
02:22and its temperature drops drastically in a matter of hours.
02:26In previous eclipses,
02:27LRO measured how the lunar surface responds
02:30to sudden changes in temperature.
02:31Rocks, depending on their size and density,
02:35cool at different rates.
02:36This information has allowed scientists
02:38to better understand our satellite.
02:41A total lunar eclipse can last for several hours.
02:44Unlike a total solar eclipse,
02:45lunar eclipses do not require any viewing equipment,
02:48such as protective eyewear or a t-shirt.
02:51So if you have the chance to witness this cosmic phenomenon,
02:55don't miss it.
