Today, the evening of September 7th, the sky gave us one of the most fascinating spectacles in astronomy: a total lunar eclipse, the so-called “Blood Moon”, so called because of the intense red colour that our satellite takes on during the culminating phase of the phenomenon.
The last total lunar eclipse visible from Italy was on May 16, 2022. The most recent one, on February 14, was not observable in our country because it occurred at dawn, after the Moon had already set. For this reason, the September eclipse was greeted with great anticipation by enthusiasts and the curious.
A lunar eclipse occurs when the Earth passes between the Sun and the Moon, casting its shadow on the lunar disk. During this phenomenon, the Moon does not disappear, but rather turns a characteristic deep red. This happens because the Sun's rays pass through the Earth's atmosphere, which scatters the blue light and allows mostly red light to filter through, refracted until it reaches the surface of the satellite.
The observation of September 7th
On this occasion, the initial phase of the eclipse—the Moon's entry into the Earth's shadow—was not visible from Italy, as it occurred before the satellite rose. Only after 20:00 PM did the Moon appear immersed in the Earth's shadow, immediately offering a spectacle of its intense red color. The peak of the phenomenon captured the attention of those lucky enough to observe under clear skies, while the Moon's gradual exit from the shadow continued until approximately 23:00 PM, at which point the disk regained its usual silvery hue. Here are some photos.
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