Blood Moon seen during lunar eclipse

The complete lunar eclipse on Saturday was witnessed in Asia, Australia, and North America, with sightings lasting from as long as three-and-a-half hours to as short as five minutes.

A lunar eclipse occurs when the sun, moon, and Earth are aligned, with the Earth in the middle, casting a shadow on the moon.

The phenomenon seen during Saturday's eclipse, the "Blood Moon," happens because the Earth's atmosphere is filtering out blue light, making the moon appear more red than usual.

While rain prevented Singaporean astronomers from fully enjoying the eclipse, some other countries had uninterrupted views.

The Blood Moon could be seen in China, Japan, Thailand, and other cities, where photographs taken captured its ethereal grace.

NASA predicts the next lunar eclipse will occur on September 28, but it will not be seen over East Asia. Those wishing to see the eclipse will have to be in Europe, Africa, or West Asia.

andrewg@sph.com.sg