If you want to observe the total lunar eclipse - this century's longest - with the naked eye on Friday, head to Fort St Elmo from 8pm on Friday.

Activities are being organised by the University’s Institute of Space Sciences and Astronomy, the Department of Physics, the Astronomical Society of Malta, Esplora and Heritage Malta.

A number of telescopes will be set up on site to enable those attending to see the eclipsed moon better.

Mars will also be easily visible as the red planet will be close to opposition – the closest point to earth in its orbit around the sun. Attendees will also be able to see Mars through telescopes on site. There will be a number of astronomy-related activities intended for children.

A total lunar eclipse occurs when the earth eclipses the sun from the moon’s point of view. As a result, the moon is seen to darken as it enters the earth’s shadow during its orbit around our planet.

When the sun-earth-moon alignment is precise, viewers on the night side of our planet will see the moon darken as it enters the earth’s penumbra and umbra, until the entire moon is completely in shadow.

This will result in the moon obtaining a characteristic reddish hue, which is why total lunar eclipses are sometimes also referred to informally as blood moons.

Since lunar eclipses only occur when the moon is directly in line with the sun and earth during its full phase, they are not very common. The last total lunar eclipse visible from Malta occurred on September 28, 2015.

This year, the eclipse will occur on Friday, with the partial eclipse phase starting at 8.24pm local time and the total phase starting at 9.30pm local time. Activities will be set up by Esplora from 8pm till 10.30pm.

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