Sky gazers across the world were treated to a dazzling celestial display last night as the Moon turned a striking shade of red during a rare total lunar eclipse.
The event, often called a “blood moon,” occurred when the Earth moved directly between the Sun and the Moon, casting its shadow across the lunar surface.
Instead of going completely dark, the Moon glowed red due to sunlight refracting through Earth’s atmosphere, the same phenomenon that produces fiery sunsets.
Astronomers said the eclipse was particularly notable because of its unusually long duration, lasting nearly 85 minutes from start to finish. Millions of people across Africa, Europe, Asia, and parts of the Americas watched the spectacle, many gathering at observatories, public viewing points, and rooftops.
Social media was flooded with images of the copper-coloured Moon, with many describing it as “otherworldly” and “magical.”
Scientists used the eclipse to make atmospheric observations, as the colours and intensity of the Moon’s glow reveal information about particles in the Earth’s atmosphere.
