North America, Australia and New Zealand will enjoy a rare total lunar eclipse known as a “blood moon” on Tuesday.
As the full moon dips into the planet’s shadow tonight, it will change color to a “deep copper red”, says astrophysicist Dr Rebecca Allen of Swinburne University.
It will be the last time people will be able to see this celestial phenomenon for almost three years.
What is a blood moon?
A lunar eclipse occurs when the Earth aligns between the moon and the sun. The sunlight is blocked, casting a shadow on the moon.
But in some eclipses, sunlight reaches the moon indirectly, smearing it with the palette of the sunset.
“Any light that passes through shines through our atmosphere and turns the lunar surface a deep copper red,” says Allen.
Dr Brad Tucker, an astrophysicist at the Australian National University, described it as a small amount of sunlight “grazing” the Earth’s atmosphere.
“Just as a sunset or sunrise can be pink or red, this light also refracts and illuminates the moon in an orange-red color,” he says.
For the best experience, Allen suggests finding a dark spot away from city lights and allowing 10 to 15 minutes for your eyes to adjust.
Jupiter will also be visible high in the sky, forming what Allen calls “a great couple.”
What time is the blood moon in Australia?
Allen says the best time to view the eclipse in Australia on Tuesday night is:
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Sydney, Canberra, Melbourne, Hobart: starts at 10:04 p.m. and ends at 11:02 p.m.
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Brisbane: starts at 21:04 and ends at 22:02
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Adelaide: starts at 21:34 and ends at 22:32
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Darwin – starts at 20:34 and ends at 21:32
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Perth: starts at 19:04 and ends at 20:02
What time is the blood moon in New Zealand?
In New Zealand, the eclipse will reach its “deepest point” shortly after midnight on Tuesday, when the moon is high in the sky, says Professor Richard Easther.
“It will be visible across the country,” says the University of Auckland physics professor. “Everyone who can see the moon will see the eclipse.
“As an astronomer, I’m excited about anything that encourages people to ‘look up’ and experience the night sky for themselves.”
What time is the blood moon in North America?
The total lunar eclipse will be visible in the early hours of Tuesday, March 3 in some parts of America.
“Observers near the edge of the visibility region may see only part of the eclipse because, for them, the moon sets,” according to NASA.
The time and date say the best times to view the eclipse in North America are:
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New York, Washington DC: Starts at 3:44 am and ends around 6:30 am
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Detroit: Starts at 3:44 am and ends at 7:06 am
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New Orleans, Chicago: Starts at 2:44 am and ends around 6:24 am
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San Francisco, Los Angeles: starts at 00.44 am and ends around 6.23 am
Other great international cities to view the blood moon include:
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Tokyo: starts at 17:44 and ends at 23:23
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Beijing: starts at 6:00 pm and ends at 22:23 pm
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Manila – starts at 17:57, ends at 22:23
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Jakarta: starts at 18:06 and ends at 21:23
When will the next total lunar eclipse be?
Total lunar eclipses occur every 18 months to three years, Allen says.
The next total eclipse will be on New Year’s Eve 2028. It will be visible in most of the world: Europe, Asia, Australia and Africa, but not in America. The next total lunar eclipse visible in North America will be in June 2029.
A partial eclipse is expected on August 28, 2026. The Americas and Africa will have the best view, but it will be almost completely invisible from Australia and New Zealand.
What is the meaning of the blood moon?
In the modern era, of course, a blood moon is simply a dramatic astronomical event.
“(They are) a stunning reminder that we live on a moving planet, in a dynamic solar system. Just a wonderful little world, drifting in space,” says Allen.
However, in ancient times, they were invested with gloomy omens.
Daniel Brown, professor of astronomy at Nottingham Trent University, wrote for Conversation that the ancient Incas interpreted the color deep red as a jaguar attacking and devouring the moon, and in ancient Mesopotamia a lunar eclipse was considered a direct assault on the king.
The Luiseño Native American tribes of California sang and sang healing songs towards the darkened moon, believing it to be injured or sick.
More recently, Christian minister John Hagee’s 2013 book Four Blood Moons promoted an apocalyptic superstition called the “blood moon prophecy.”
The March full moon is also known as the “worm moon,” according to the old Farmer’s Almanac, because in the northern hemisphere in March the ground begins to warm and the first signs of life begin to return.
