Updated March 13th 2025, 22:04 IST
Science News: As the nation is set to celebrate the festival of Holi on Friday, the occasion will be accompanied by a celestial event, a total lunar eclipse.
The Blood Moon Total Lunar Eclipse, which is the first eclipse of the year 2025. It is coinciding with the culmination of Holi celebrations.
This time total Lunar Eclipse will not be visible in India as the timings for the celestial event are during the daytime hours of India.
Lunar eclipses take place during the full moon phase, when Earth is directly between the Moon and the Sun. Earth's shadow then falls on the Moon's surface, causing it to dim and sometimes turn a vivid red over several hours. NASA states that every lunar eclipse is visible from half of the Earth.Kn
As the Moon enters Earth's inner shadow, or umbra, some sunlight passing through Earth's atmosphere reaches the Moon, giving it a faint glow. Shorter wavelengths of light, such as blue and violet, scatter more easily than longer wavelengths like red and orange. As a result, the red and orange wavelengths are able to pass through Earth's atmosphere, making the Moon appear reddish or orange during a lunar eclipse.
The presence of more dust or clouds in Earth's atmosphere during the eclipse causes the Moon to appear even redder.
Published March 13th 2025, 22:04 IST