The total lunar eclipse, which turned the Moon red – also known as a blood moon – was seen this morning in at least 35 countries in America, according to information provided by the official NASA site. It was a total alignment phenomenon that will not occur again until 2028.
A lunar eclipse occurs when the Earth comes between the Sun and the satellite and casts its shadow on the lunar surface. This type of alignment can only happen during the Full Moon phase.
During a total lunar eclipse, the Moon takes on a dark red or orange hue because our planet blocks most of the sunlight and what does arrive is filtered through the Earth’s atmosphere. “It’s as if all the sunrises and sunsets in the world were projected onto the Moon,” explain Caela Barry and Ernie Wright of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center.
This astronomical phenomenon was visible in the early hours of the morning in much of the American continent: Canada, the United States, Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Chile and Bolivia; as well as in Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay, where it was partially seen.
According to NASA, it was also observed at dusk in eastern Asia and Australia, but was not visible in Africa or Europe.
For the American continent, the eclipse began at 3:50 a.m. (Central Mexico time), when the Moon entered the umbra, the inner part of the Earth’s shadow. To the naked eye, as the Moon moved toward the umbra, it looked like a bite was being taken out of the lunar disk. The total phase took place at 5:04 a.m. (Central Mexico time), when the Moon turned coppery red.
The lunar eclipse was visible without the need for special equipment, although NASA experts recommended finding a dark place, away from bright lights, and using binoculars or a telescope.