The blood moon lights up the evening sky, and when and where to watch a total lunar eclipse in India

In an exciting celestial event, many space enthusiasts will witness a total lunar eclipse on March 3, when Earth’s shadow falls on its natural moon, creating a “blood moon.”

What astronomers refer to as a “total”, is the ominous appearance of the red-coloured satellite, and is believed to be an evil omen across cultures, news agency PTI reported.

A total lunar eclipse is a rare celestial event, in which the Earth, Moon and Sun do not always align perfectly due to the slight relativity between the Earth’s tilt and the Moon’s orbit around the Sun.

In Western Australia, it will begin while the moon is still below the horizon, while in the rest of Australia, the eclipse will appear later in the evening in the eastern sky. In New Zealand, the weather is expected to start at 10:50pm local time, offering the best views as the sky will be dark and the moon high in the northern sky.

The partial eclipse phase will last approximately 75 minutes as the moon slowly enters the Earth’s shadow.

Once fully engulfed, the Moon will glow red for about an hour before gradually rising over the course of another 75 minutes and returning to its full brightness.

According to a report by the Times Of India, the visible window is expected to last about 20 minutes in the country as the moon slowly moves out of the Earth’s shadow.

The total lunar eclipse, or blood moon, will be visible to approximately 3.3 billion people across America, Asia and Oceania, according to a report by Space.com.

During the three lunar eclipses expected in 2027, the Moon will only enter Earth’s faint outer shadow. During this period, the moon will dim only slightly, making it almost impossible to see it as an eclipse, PTI reported.