Why Does Our Moon Turn 'Blood Red' During A Lunar Eclipse? NASA Explains

Earth will bear witness to a total lunar eclipse on November 8. Whenever we talk about eclipses of such gravity, it's always exciting to find out if it'll be visible from your rooftops. But do we ever sit back and wonder what's causing our beautiful Moon to turn red?

So, what is happening on Tuesday? Earth's shadow will essentially fall on the Moon, causing a total lunar eclipse on Tuesday. Many parts of Asia, Australia, New Zealand, North America, northern and Eastern Europe, and South America will be able to see the total lunar eclipse on Tuesday.

@NASAMoon on Twitter

This event will mark the last total lunar eclipse to be experienced from Earth over the next three years, turning the Moon a red hue for some lucky onlookers. The next such event will take place on March 14, 2025.

Why does the Moon turn red?

When the Sun, Earth, and the Moon are in a straight line while the Earth's shadow falls on the Moon, a total lunar eclipse takes place.

NASA

Recently, NASA explained why the Moon turns red. For starters, all of the Moon falls within the darkest part of Earth's shadow - known as the umbra. Within umbra, the Moon appears red. It's because of this that lunar eclipses are sometimes referred to as "Blood Moons."

On November 8, 2022, the Moon will pass into Earth's shadow and turn red. This will be the last total lunar eclipse for about 3 years, so be sure to check it out if it's visible in your area.

Learn more: https://t.co/zetjapudzV pic.twitter.com/PJ0AuQrfEC

¡ª NASA Moon (@NASAMoon) October 27, 2022

Also read: For the First Time Ever High-Resolution Close-Up Image Of Jupiter's Moon, Europa Captured

"The same phenomenon that makes our sky blue and our sunsets red causes the Moon to turn red during a lunar eclipse. It's called Rayleigh scattering. Light travels in waves, and different colours of light have different physical properties. Blue light has a shorter wavelength and is scattered more easily by particles in Earth's atmosphere than red light, which has a longer wavelength," NASA explained on its website.

Unsplash

Red light, NASA explained, travels more directly through the atmosphere. "When the Sun is overhead, we see blue light throughout the sky. But when the Sun is setting, sunlight must pass through more atmosphere and travel farther before reaching our eyes. The blue light from the Sun scatters away, and longer-wavelength red, orange, and yellow light pass through," it explained.

Also read: ISRO To Launch Its Third Moon Mission, Chandrayaan-3 In June 2023

When an event like a lunar eclipse takes place, the Moon becomes red because only sunlight that passes through the Earth's atmosphere reaches the Moon. This passage of light gives the Moon a red hue for Earthly creatures.

Unsplash

"The more dust or clouds in Earth's atmosphere during the eclipse, the redder the Moon will appear. It's as if all the world's sunrises and sunsets are projected onto the Moon," NASA explained on its website.

To witness this lunar eclipse, you'll not need any special equipment, but binoculars or a telescope might be of help.

Did you know why the Moon turns red during eclipses? Let us know in the comments below. For more in the world of technology and science, keep reading Indiatimes.com.

References

Wasser, B. E. M. W. A. T. V. (2022, October 28). What You Need to Know About the Lunar Eclipse. Moon: NASA Science. https://moon.nasa.gov/news/185/what-you-need-to-know-about-the-lunar-eclipse/