Lunar Eclipse 2025: On the night of September 7, people throughout India gazed at a rare and enchanting phenomenon. The moon gradually vanished into Earth's shadow, resulting in a breathtaking total lunar eclipse, commonly known as a 'blood moon.'
It was a moment that captivated everyone's attention, Social media buzzed with admiration as individuals shared photos and reactions, making the eclipse a trending topic on platforms like X.
In India, the lunar eclipse commenced at 8:58 p.m. IST on September 7 and continued until 1:25 a.m. IST on September 8. The Earth's shadow began to slowly envelop the moon at 9:57 p.m., and by 11:01 p.m., the moon was completely covered, taking on a vivid copper-red hue, the renowned 'blood moon.'
In totality, the period when the moon is entirely within Earth's shadow, lasted an unusually long 82 minutes, from 10:00 p.m. to 11:22 p.m. IST. The eclipse reached its peak around 11:48 p.m., with the event wrapping up around 12:22 a.m
A lunar eclipse occurs when the Earth positions itself directly between the Sun and the Moon, causing its shadow to fall on the Moon. During a total lunar eclipse, the Moon passes into the Earth's deepest shadow, known as the umbra, completely blocking direct sunlight.
The phrase 'Blood Moon' is a casual yet widely recognized term for a fully eclipsed Moon that takes on a reddish or coppery hue. It refers to a total lunar eclipse with a notable color effect, rather than being an astronomical classification. This red color is caused by Earth's atmosphere bending and filtering sunlight.
Sunlight travels through Earth's atmosphere, where shorter wavelengths (blue and violet) are scattered more intensely. In contrast, longer wavelengths (red and orange) pass through more directly. These red wavelengths then curve around Earth and light up the Moon, giving it that dramatic reddish glow.
Social media buzzed with reactions from people who observed the eclipse that night. A user remarked, "This is the first lunar eclipse I've seen since 2017, and that one was just partial. Incredible, 8 years! It looks amazing tonight. I don't like my camera, and I'm even more annoyed with myself for having a telescope but not having the patience to take it to the terrace at midnight to capture the moon. #LunarEclipse"
Some responses highlighted the poetic nature of the viewers. "Tonight's lunar eclipse resembles a dream painted across the sky. The moon, shining in its rare splendor, fills me with wonder and happiness. Such moments remind me of our smallness, yet how profoundly connected we are under the same universe."
