The Moon turns a fiery red during a total lunar eclipse, a rare celestial event visible worldwide on September 7, 2025 (Photo: Pinterest)
Blood Moon on September 7th, 2025, skywatchers worldwide including India will witness one of the most spectacular shows of astronomy a total lunar eclipse. On that night, the Moon will shed its silvery rays and color the sky a pale copper and red glory, giving rise to one of the terms used, Blood Moon. The spectacle is to be watched from a greater distance across the dark side of the Earth and allowing billions to witness the extraordinary event in unison
Blood Moon the total lunar eclipse occurs when the Earth comes between the Moon and Sun and obscures the Moon with the deepest shadow of all, the umbra. The bizarre elegance of the play is produced when such an alignment is rare. Solar eclipses are of short duration and lunar eclipses, on the other hand can last for several hours, allowing for stargazers to appreciate the slow but bold transition.
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One would almost expect for the Moon to be swallowed whole by darkness during totality. But red and orange prevail. This is Rayleigh scattering, whereby Sunrises and Sunsets colored fiery red along the route put forth through the atmosphere.
Portions of sunlight have been bent away from the surface of the Earth in the blue and violet wavelengths and while the longer wavelengths of red and orange have been bent around the planet. This bending of light strikes the Moon softly so that it looks almost like it has been caught on fire by the Earth during its sunsets and sunrises.
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This occurrence is not under all full moons, Because the Moon's orbit is tilted about five degrees relative to the plane of the Earth and it usually slips above or below our planet's shadow. The Blood Moon will only occur every so often when the Sun, Earth and Moon are in perfect alignment at the orbital nodes. The upcoming eclipse in September 2025 will promise nearly 107 minutes of totality, during which this cosmic theatre will be uninterrupted for almost two hours. Other than a pair of these solar spectacles and the public in general will not need any protection to gaze unabashedly at this one.
A total lunar eclipse is not just a mass of visual splendours and it reminds one of the Earth stepping so casually into the cosmic ballet. For a brief minute, the Earth steals the Moon's light and returns it in fiery shades, establishing a cosmic connection with us. When the Moon turns red this September and you'll not only be witnessing an eclipse; you'll be watching Earth's shadow extending in space.
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