Rare total lunar eclipse tonight; 'Blood Moon' to last 82 minutes

NEW YORK: A total lunar eclipse will be visible tonight across Kerala. The event begins at 8:58 PM IST, but the complete eclipse phase — the “Blood Moon”- will start only at 11:00 PM. From then on, viewers can enjoy the rare red beauty of the Moon.

The eclipse will be visible across Asia, Australia, Africa, and Europe, with the clearest view in Asian countries. During the eclipse, the Earth moves between the Sun and the Moon, covering the Moon with its shadow. As sunlight passes through the Earth’s atmosphere, shorter wavelengths like blue and green scatter away, while longer wavelengths like red and orange reach the Moon’s surface — giving it the red glow.

The next total lunar eclipse will occur in March 2026. The last one was in March this year. This time, the total phase- when the Moon is fully inside Earth’s shadow- will last for 82 minutes.

Timeline of eclipse in India (IST):

• 8:58 PM: Earth’s shadow begins touching the Moon
• 9:57 PM: Dark part of Earth’s shadow falls on the Moon
• 11:00 PM: Total eclipse (Blood Moon) begins
• 11:41 PM: Moon fully inside Earth’s shadow