Total lunar eclipse: Moon appears in a dark red hue

A rare sight graced Dhaka’s night sky. During a total lunar eclipse, the moon took on a dark red glow. On Sunday night, many Dhaka residents witnessed this celestial display.

According to the Bangladesh Meteorological Department, the eclipse began at 9:27 pm Bangladesh time. The total lunar eclipse started at 11:30 pm, with the central eclipse occurring at 12:11 am.

The moon began to emerge from full eclipse at 12:53 am and then returned to its normal form at 2:56 am, added the met office.

At the beginning of the eclipse, the moon appeared partially covered. By midnight, it had turned a dark red. Reports from Indian media stated that the eclipse was also visible from various parts of India.

During such an event, the Earth’s shadow covers the entire moon. The familiar silvery moon gradually shifts into a dark red colour, a phenomenon astronomers terms a ‘Blood Moon’.

On Sunday night, the total lunar eclipse lasted for 82 minutes, making it the longest since 2022.

A lunar eclipse occurs when the Earth moves between the sun and the moon, casting its shadow over the moon. As the moon passes through this shadow, its silvery glow gradually changes to coppery or reddish hues.

Because the moon’s orbit is slightly tilted, not every full moon results in an eclipse. Only two or three occur every year, visible only from certain parts of the world.

Earlier, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) issued a press release saying that the eclipse would be fully visible from areas stretching east from Hila Island in Indonesia to west at the Port of Mombasa in Kenya.

Partial phases could also be seen slightly beyond these limits to the east and the west. However, around 90 per cent of North America, the Caribbean, and South America were unable to view this eclipse, the ISPR added.