Science of the Blood Full Moon
Blood Moon. Image: Wikimedia
Science of the Blood Full Moon
This Sunday, September 7th, we’ll experience a dramatic Blood Full Moon as the Earth experiences its second total lunar eclipse of the year.
What do these words mean?
Blood Moon
Blood Moon. Image: Wikimedia
This Full Moon will have a reddish tint because of the lunar eclipse phase of its transit across the sky. When sunlight passes through the atmosphere, shorter blue wavelengths are scattered away, while longer red wavelengths are refracted and bent towards the moon.
Skywatchers across Asia and Western Australia will get the best view of the Sept. 7 total lunar eclipse from start to finish, but those in Europe, Africa, eastern Australia, and New Zealand may still catch a glimpse of the moon during some of the eclipse phases, including totality.
However, approximately 77% of the world’s population, or around 6.2 billion people, will be able to witness the complete phase of the lunar eclipse. Nearly 88% (7.1 billion people) will observe at least some of the penumbral phase.
Eclipse Map and Animation
