BENGALURU/NEW DELHI: From Ladakh to Tamil Nadu, skywatchers turned their eyes to the night sky on Sunday to witness a rare ‘Blood Moon’—a total lunar eclipse.
The earth’s shadow began to creep across the lunar surface at 9:57 pm, as clouds and monsoon rains played hide-and-seek with the moon. The eclipse reached totality at 11:01 pm, casting a striking copper-red hue across the moon—a phenomenon popularly known as the ‘Blood Moon.’
“The Moon will remain fully eclipsed from 11:01 pm to 12:23 am, lasting 82 minutes,” said Niruj Mohan Ramanujam, Head of Science, Communication, Public Outreach, and Education (SCOPE) at the Indian Institute of Astrophysics.
The moon appears red during a lunar eclipse because sunlight reaching it is refracted and scattered through the Earth’s atmosphere, explained B. S. Shylaja, former director of the Jawaharlal Nehru Planetarium.
To capture the spectacle, the Indian Institute of Astrophysics pointed telescopes at the moon from its campuses in Bengaluru, Ladakh, and Tamil Nadu, streaming the event live on social media.
While cloudy skies obstructed the view in several regions, live streams hosted by astronomy enthusiasts worldwide ensured that many could still witness the event.
The eclipse was visible across Asia, as well as parts of Europe, Africa, and western Australia. Sunday’s lunar eclipse was the longest visible from India since 2022 and the first since July 27, 2018, to be seen across the entire country. The next total lunar eclipse visible from India will occur on December 31, 2028.
Lunar eclipses are rare because the moon’s orbit is tilted about five degrees relative to the Earth’s orbit around the Sun. They occur when the Earth passes directly between the Sun and the Moon, casting its shadow on the lunar surface. Unlike solar eclipses, total lunar eclipses can be safely observed with the naked eye, binoculars, or a telescope.
In India, lunar eclipses are often associated with superstitions. Some people avoid eating, drinking, or engaging in physical activity during an eclipse, fearing negative effects on health or unborn children. Astronomers, however, emphasize that lunar eclipses are purely shadow phenomena, understood long before Aryabhata’s time, and pose no danger to humans or animals.
“People can safely enjoy this magnificent celestial display, eat, and go outside without any worry,” Ramanujam reassured.
