Last night, photographers around the world turned their lenses skyward to witness a rare and breathtaking blood moon total lunar eclipse. This astronomical event occurs when a full moon moves through Earth's deepest shadow, known as the umbra. During this phase, only the redder wavelengths of light manage to penetrate our planet's atmosphere, casting the moon in a striking blood-like hue, commonly referred to as a blood moon.
The United States experienced a spectacular blood moon in March, but this particular eclipse was primarily visible in regions such as Europe, Africa, Asia, and Australia. On the night of September 7th into the morning of September 8th, the moon spent approximately 82 minutes completely enveloped by Earth's shadow, marking it as the longest total lunar eclipse since 2022.
If you felt like you missed this celestial spectacle, worry not! Live Science has compiled an impressive collection of stunning images from the event. One of the standout photographs was taken by Sheng Jiapeng in Beijing, China, showcasing the blood moon rising majestically above the Olympic Park Observation Tower.
During a lunar eclipse, the moon travels behind Earth in relation to the sun, creating a scenario that is the opposite of a solar eclipse. In the city of Eindhoven, Nicolas Economou captured the moon partially shrouded in shadow against the backdrop of residential buildings, illustrating the unique beauty of this phenomenon.
The moon remains visible during a total lunar eclipse because some of the sun's light refracts through Earth's atmosphere, illuminating the moon before it reflects back to our planet. In Germany, photographer Emmanuele Contini immortalized the blood moon rising behind a spire on Berlin's iconic Oberbaumbrücke bridge, a visual testament to the eclipse's allure.
The enchanting red hue of the moon is a result of particles in Earth’s atmosphere scattering the sun's blue light and other shorter wavelengths. This scattering allows the longer-wavelength oranges and reds to filter through and cast their glow upon the moon. In Greece, Nicolas Koutsokostas took a captivating shot of the blood moon beside an air traffic control tower at Athens Airport, perfectly capturing the eclipse's striking appearance.
A total lunar eclipse like this occurs only when the moon is perfectly aligned behind Earth in relation to the sun. If the alignment is slightly off, some sunlight may still reach the moon, resulting in a partial eclipse. When the alignment is even more misaligned, we simply see a regular full moon reflecting the sun's light, which is a common occurrence each month.
The recent blood moon total lunar eclipse has not only offered photographers a chance to capture incredible images but has also provided a stunning reminder of the beauty and complexity of our solar system. Whether you witnessed it live or viewed the photographs later, this celestial event was a spectacle to behold.
