This March 3, watch the ‘Blood Moon’ glow during a total lunar eclipse

Grab your pair of binoculars and watch the sky on the evening of March 3 as some parts of the Philippines are set to witness a total lunar eclipse, also known as a Blood Moon, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) announced.

Lunar eclipses happen during a full moon when the Earth passes directly between the Sun and the Moon, casting the Earth’s shadow upon the Moon.

According to the state weather bureau, the eclipse will be visible in Metro Manila and other parts of the country for about 59 minutes and 24 seconds, during totality, as the Moon passes completely into the shadow of the Earth.

If the weather allows, folks can watch the Moon undergo the stages of penumbral, partial, and total eclipse—a process that lasts more than five hours.

PAGASA said the Moon will rise at 5:58 p.m., already partially eclipsed, with parts of its surface turning reddish while the rest remains bright.

It will enter totality at 7:04 p.m., reach maximum eclipse at 7:34 p.m., and end at 8:03 p.m.

Totality happens when the Moon passes entirely into the Earth’s dark inner shadow, completely blocking direct sunlight. This causes the Moon to turn a reddish-orange color due to sunlight scattering through Earth’s atmosphere, hence the term Blood Moon.

The Moon will then fully exit the umbral shadow, or the darkest central part of Earth’s shadow, at 9:17 p.m., and end when the Moon leaves the faint penumbral shadow at 10:25 p.m.

“The total lunar eclipse is very easy to observe. A modest pair of binoculars will provide an excellent view of the Moon’s surface, but not required. Contrary to solar eclipses, observing a lunar eclipse is completely safe and does not require any protective eyewear,” PAGASA notes in its press statement.

Aside from parts of the Philippines, the lunar event will also be visible in Australia, the Central Pacific, East Asia, and most of the Americas.