PARIS: Stargazers will witness a “Blood Moon” during Sunday night’s total lunar eclipse visible across Asia and significant portions of Europe and Africa.
The phenomenon occurs when the Sun, Earth, and Moon align perfectly, casting Earth’s shadow onto the lunar surface and creating an eerie deep red colour that has fascinated humans for thousands of years.
Observers in Asia, including India and China, will have the best viewing conditions for Sunday’s complete celestial event.
Western Australia and the eastern edge of Africa will also enjoy clear visibility of the entire eclipse process.
The total lunar eclipse will begin at 1730 GMT and conclude at 1852 GMT, providing nearly an hour and a half of spectacular viewing.
European and African viewers will experience a partial eclipse during early evening moonrise, while the Americas will miss this astronomical event entirely.
Astrophysicist Ryan Milligan from Queen’s University Belfast explained that the Moon appears red because sunlight must pass through Earth’s atmosphere before reaching the lunar surface.
“Blue wavelengths of light are shorter than red ones, so they scatter more easily as they travel through our atmosphere,“ he told AFP.
“That scattering process leaves primarily red light to illuminate the Moon during totality, creating that characteristic bloody colour.”
Unlike solar eclipses that require special protective eyewear, lunar eclipses can be safely viewed with nothing more than clear weather conditions and proper geographic positioning.
The last total lunar eclipse occurred in March of this year, with the previous one taking place in 2022.
Milligan, who describes himself as a “solar eclipse chaser,“ considers Sunday’s event a exciting preview of next year’s major astronomical occurrence.
A rare total solar eclipse will occur on August 12, 2026, when the Moon completely blocks the Sun’s light along a narrow path through Europe.
The astrophysicist has pursued his passion globally for over a decade, having witnessed twelve totalities where the Moon fully obscures the Sun.
Next year’s totality marks the first in mainland Europe since 2006 and will be visible only in Spain and Iceland, though neighbouring countries will experience significant partial coverage.
In Spain, the path of totality will create a approximately 160-kilometre wide band between Madrid and Barcelona, though neither city will experience the full phenomenon according to Milligan.
This upcoming event will be the first total solar eclipse since the one that captivated North America in April 2024. – AFP