Stargazers around the world are in for a celestial treat as they will be able to witness a captivating “Blood Moon” tonight during a total lunar eclipse that will be visible across various regions in Asia, Europe, and Africa.
During a total lunar eclipse, when the Sun, Earth, and Moon align, the Moon takes on a striking deep red hue as it passes through the Earth’s shadow. This phenomenon has fascinated people for centuries.
The total lunar eclipse, scheduled for this Sunday, will be most visible in Asia, including countries like India and China, and parts of Africa and western Australia. The eclipse is expected to last from 1730 GMT to 1852 GMT.
While stargazers in Europe and Africa will have a brief opportunity to witness a partial eclipse as the Moon rises in the early evening, viewers in the Americas will unfortunately miss out on this celestial event.
The red appearance of the Moon during lunar eclipses is due to sunlight being filtered through the Earth’s atmosphere, causing the shorter blue wavelengths to scatter, leaving behind the red hues, explained Ryan Milligan, an astrophysicist at Queen’s University Belfast in Northern Ireland.
Unlike solar eclipses that require special viewing equipment, observing a lunar eclipse only requires clear skies and being in the right location. The last total lunar eclipse occurred in March this year, with the next one scheduled for 2022.
Milligan, an avid follower of solar eclipses, views this Sunday’s event as a precursor to a significant event next year. A rare total solar eclipse is set to occur on August 12, 2026, visible in parts of Europe. Milligan has traveled the globe to witness 12 total solar eclipses, with the upcoming event being the first in mainland Europe since 2006.
The total solar eclipse in Spain and Iceland will be visible along a 160-kilometer band between Madrid and Barcelona. This event will mark the first total solar eclipse since the one that crossed North America in April 2024.