July 27 is a special day in the stars. Not only will it be the longest lunar eclipse of the 21st century (lasting almost two hours), Mars will come the closest to Earth that it’s been in 15 years.
It will be one of the best times ever to view the red planet, as it will appear brighter and larger than it has in years. In honor of the astro-spectacular, Airbnb is hosting a trip to view Mars through the Gran Telescopio Canarias (GTC) in Las Palmas.
Six people will be able to join Juan Antonio González, a local astronomy guide, and Antonio Luis Cabrera, leader of scientific operations at GTC, to watch Mars through the world’s largest optical and infrared telescope. As the planet comes close to Earth, Airbnb guests will be able to photograph the planet, snapping especially vivid shots of Mars’ polar ice caps and dust storms.
Las Palmas is a particularly special place to watch the sky on July 27. The total lunar eclipse, lasting one hour and 43 minutes, will take be most visible sometime between evening and midnight in Europe on that day.
But there are no shortage of places on the planet to see the phenomenon. Airbnb says it has more than 3,000 listings that come equipped with telescopes. Travelers who won’t be able to make it to the Spanish islands on the 27th can scroll through to see some of Airbnb’s top listings around the world for stargazing.
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