RESIDENTS were treated to a spectacular lunar eclipse last Tuesday, the last for more than two years.
A partial eclipse began just before 9pm before entering a total eclipse at 10.05pm, lasting for an hour. Locals were still able to observe the event well past midnight as the moon reappeared from earth’s shadow.
Persistent clouds which frustrated some inner-city skygazers threatened to spoil the show but mostly held off until the eclipse was over.
A lunar eclipse, also known as a blood moon, occurs when the moon is positioned within the earth’s shadow, blocking most of the sunlight from the surface of the moon.
According to NASA, the red hue that accompanies a lunar eclipse occurs because the colours with shorter wavelengths emitted from the sun such as blues and violets are absorbed more easily when they hit the earth’s atmosphere.
The colours with longer wavelengths like red and orange are the only ones that reach the moon’s surface, hence the distinctive colour.
This will be the last total eclipse until December 31, 2028.