Blood Moon Captivates Skywatchers Across India
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From the snow-clad heights of Ladakh to the tropical skies of Tamil Nadu, India witnessed a mesmerising spectacle on the night of September 7–8, 2025, as the Moon turned a haunting shade of red—a Blood Moon—during a total lunar eclipse. Despite relentless monsoon cloud cover in parts of the country, astronomy enthusiasts and casual observers alike refused to miss the event. With the help of telescopes and live streaming broadcasts, the eclipse was visible across the nation.
Scientific teams from institutions like the Indian Institute of Astrophysics tracked the eclipse from Bengaluru, Ladakh, and Tamil Nadu, offering live feeds to overcome local visibility issues. According to Niruj Mohan Ramanujam, head of SCOPE (Science Communication, Public Outreach and Education), the Moon entered full eclipse at 11:01 pm IST, remaining in totality for a dramatic 82 minutes, until 12:23 am IST. The reddish tint was a result of sunlight being filtered through Earth’s atmosphere—blue light scattered away, and red wavelengths bending toward the Moon—creating the surreal “Blood Moon” effect.
Astronomers also took the opportunity to demystify the event. B. S. Shylaja, former director of the Jawaharlal Nehru Planetarium, emphasized that such eclipses are harmless and perfectly safe to observe with the naked eye, binoculars, or a telescope.
This was the longest total lunar eclipse visible across India since 2018’s eclipse, making it a momentous event for stargazers nationwide. For those who missed the cosmic show, the next lunar eclipse visible from India is expected on December 31, 2028.
