The Greater Bay Area, as well as the rest of Asia, Australia, the Pacific Islands and the Americas, may be able to bear witness to a total lunar eclipse, also known as a “blood moon,” tonight from 7:03 to 8:03 pm local time if the weather permits.
Observers are advised to look towards the east during the eclipse period. However, according to Dr Chan Wai Shun, Scientific Officer at the Hong Kong Observatory, the weather this evening is forecast to be cloudy with a high chance of significant rainfall and thunderstorms. Therefore, visibility of the eclipse may likely be obscured.
Unfortunately, similar adverse weather reports have been made across Guangdong.
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A total lunar eclipse occurs when the Sun, Earth, and Moon align so that the Moon passes into the darkest part of the Earth’s shadow, called the umbra.
During a lunar eclipse, the Moon turns red because the only sunlight that reaches the Moon passes through Earth’s atmosphere. Since red light has the longest wavelength, it does not scatter as easily when going through the Earth’s atmosphere. “It’s as if all the world’s sunrises and sunsets are projected onto the Moon,” states NASA.
The next lunar eclipse visible from Macao will be a penumbral eclipse on 21 February 2027, according to Macao’s Meteorological and Geophysical Bureau. Meanwhile, the next total lunar eclipse (“blood moon”) visible from Hong Kong will occur on 1 January 2029, says the Hong Kong Space Museum.
