Russia's destruction of one of its own satellites generated a cloud of debris near the International Space Station (ISS) and its seven-strong crew.

For Didier Schmitt, a senior figure at the European Space Agency (ESA), Moscow's action increased the risk of a collision in space.

Question: Was this a close call for the seven astronauts—four US, two Russians and a German - aboard the ISS?

Answer: "It's difficult to say with hindsight. But what we know is that from now on, according to our sources, the risk of collision could be five times greater in the weeks, even the months ahead.

"The new debris is moving in the same orbit as the Station, which is to around 400 kilometres in altitude, at more than 8 kilometres a second. That's seven to eight times faster than a rifle bullet! So to avoid them you have to predict a long time in advance: you can raise or lower the ISS a little.

You can see the longest partial lunar eclipse in hundreds of years this week.

The "nearly total" lunar eclipse is expected overnight Thursday, Nov. 18, to Friday, Nov. 19, NASA said.

"The Moon will be so close to opposite the Sun on Nov 19 that it will pass through the southern part of the shadow of the Earth for a nearly total lunar eclipse," NASA said on its website.

The eclipse will last 3 hours, 28 minutes and 23 seconds, making it the longest in centuries, Space.com reported.

Only a small sliver of the moon will be visible during the eclipse. About 97% of the moon will disappear into Earth's shadow as the sun and moon pass opposite sides of the planet, EarthSky reported.

The moon should appear to be a reddish-brown color as it slips into the shadow, NASA reported.

The eclipse will be visible in many parts of the world, including North America, eastern Australia, New Zealand and Japan, according to EarthSky.

"For U.S. East Coast observers, the partial eclipse begins a little after 2 a.m.