Sri Lankans to witness rare ‘Blood Moon’ tonight

Sri Lankans will have the rare opportunity to witness a spectacular 'Blood Moon' tonight (7), Professor Chandana Jayaratne, Head of the Department of Physics at the University of Colombo and Chairman of the Arthur C. Clarke Institute for Modern Technologies, said.

The total lunar eclipse, during which the Moon will appear in a striking deep-red hue, will take place on September 7 and last into the early hours of September 8.

“The eclipse will begin at 8.58 p.m. today and end at 2.25 a.m. tomorrow. It will last for around five hours and 22 minutes. The partial eclipse will be visible in Sri Lanka from 9.57 p.m. to 1.26 a.m., while the total eclipse will occur between 11.01 p.m. and 12.21 a.m., when the Moon will appear almost black as the Earth passes directly between the Sun and the Moon,” Prof. Jayaratne explained.

This will be the final total lunar eclipse of the year and will be visible to nearly 85% of the world’s population. Unlike many eclipses confined to specific regions, this celestial event will be observable across much of Asia, Australia, Europe and Africa.

Sri Lanka is expected to offer some of the clearest views of the phenomenon.

A lunar eclipse occurs when the Earth passes directly between the Sun and a full Moon, casting its shadow over the lunar surface and creating the dramatic 'Blood Moon' effect.