By Alasdair English
A Lunar Eclipse has been forecast over Suffolk skies this morning (March 14th), however, early risers were greeted with overcast skies limiting visibility of this solar event.
A Lunar Eclipse has been forecast for the evening of March 13th/ 14th causing the Moon to become red over the skies of the UK. At this time of year the moon is positioned in the constellation of Leo and is about 28 degrees above the horizon. As budding star-gazers rushed out in the morning they were greeted by grey skies and some very British weather with drizzle and temperatures of around 1º.
NASA posted on X (Twitter): “In the Western Hemisphere? Step outside late tonight to see a ‘Blood Moon,’ aka a lunar eclipse, as the Sun, Earth, and Moon align such that the Moon passes into Earth’s shadow.”
A Lunar Eclipse happens a number of times a year and turns the Moon red giving the name to this solar event a Blood Moon. During a Lunar Eclipse the Earth casts a shadow over the Moon, this is different from a Solar Eclipse where the Moon casts a shadow over the Earth causing some amazing experiences and sites. During this Lunar Eclipse only part of the moon will appear red. The Lunar Eclipse on March 14th will be visible across Europe, the US, Asia, Australia, South America, Pacific and Africa
During an eclipse, if the Earth is only partially blocking the Sun’s light to the Moon the darkest part of the Earth’s shadow will fall onto the Moon, this is called a partial eclipse. Sometimes, during a lunar eclipse the Moon passes through the lighter part of the Earth’s shadow causing a penumbral eclipse, seasoned skywatchers will be able to tell the difference when the Moon crosses the lighter part of Earth’s shadow as the change in colour to the Moon is very subtle.
When a full eclipse occurs, the Moon is fully in Earth’s shadow. At the same time, a little bit of light from Earth’s sunrises and sunsets (on the disk of the planet) falls on the surface of the Moon. As this light passes through, shorter wavelengths (blue and violet) are scattered by atmospheric particles, leaving the longer wavelengths due to the light waves, from the sun, being stretched out, they look red. When this red light strikes the Moon’s surface, the Moon appears red giving the name ‘Blood Moon’
The specific shade of red can vary depending on atmospheric conditions at the time of the eclipse. Factors such as the amount of dust, water droplets, clouds, and mist in Earth’s atmosphere influence the scattering process. For instance, volcanic ash can enhance the red coloration by scattering more blue light, leading to a darker eclipse. This phenomenon is akin to the colours observed during sunrises and sunsets, where the sky appears reddish due to the scattering of shorter wavelengths by atmospheric particles. In the case of a lunar eclipse, it’s as if all the world’s sunrises and sunsets are projected onto the Moon. The term “Blood Moon” is often used to describe this event, referring to the reddish appearance of the Moon during a total lunar eclipse. However, it’s important to note that this term is more popular in the media and not a scientific designation.