Blood moon live stream: Watch the lunar eclipse as it happens [video]

A full lunar eclipse or ‘Blood Moon’ occurs when the earth passes between the moon and the source of its glow, the sun, obstructing the light and casting a red shadow over it.

The eclipse on Monday 21 January will be the last eclipse until 2021 though only the initial phase of the eclipse will be visible in South Africa before the moon dips below the horizon.

Blood Moon lunar eclipse: Everything you need to know

Why live stream something you can just watch outside?

During this live stream Slooh’s resident astronomers Paul Cox and Dr. Paige Godfrey will be joined by Slooh storyteller Helen Avery to discuss not only the science behind the lunar eclipse but also the cultural impact of this astronomical event. Historically, the lunar eclipse has captivated humans, at times both inspiring and frightening.

Blood moon lunar eclipse: Start time and weather forecast

“We know that both lunar and solar eclipses are the result of the natural, cyclic rotations and orbits of the Sun, Earth and Moon in relation to one another. It must be a full moon for a total lunar eclipse to take place and the Earth must pass directly between the Sun and the Moon,” says Dr. Paige Godfrey. “For a period of several hours, light from the Sun (the reflected source of the Moon’s glow) is obstructed. We stream it live so that people from around the world, no matter their geographical location, can witness this phenomenon together.”

The observatory will use its multiple telescopes to provide a wide array of images of the moon as it slowly turns red.

Watch the Slooh observatory live stream

Courtesy of slooh.

Visit Slooh.com to snap and share your own photos from this live event, and interact with their hosts and guests, and personally control Slooh’s telescopes.